


Who Watches the Watchmen

by Phantasmal



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, M/M, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2018-05-11 22:06:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 88,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5643589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantasmal/pseuds/Phantasmal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Veld is in charge of the Turks and rules with an iron fist. Punishment for infractions is severe, swift and merciless. Reno is... Well Reno and rules don't mix. What will Tseng do to keep Reno safe? Rated Explicit for a long list of things. I'm slightly twisted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N: First of all I want to add some warnings. There is a horrible rape scene in this chapter so if you don't want to read that then probably skip this story. Also this is a dark, gory and bloody story involving the aforementioned rape, attempted suicide and lots of pain.**
> 
>  
> 
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> 
> **And for my disclaimer. I own nothing of Final Fantasy VII or its characters and I make no profit from my writings except maybe the elixir I make from the tears of the characters.**

Chapter One.

_  
_ _I'm sorry... I know I fucked up, but I didn't mean to... I tried so hard to do what you wanted... I'm so sorry for failing you... Why do I always have to screw everything up? Fuck I'm worthless..._

_  
_ Reno lay slumped against the wall struggling to breathe through the stabbing pains of his broken ribs. Unsure if he was alone and thus able to find a rag and start cleaning up the splashes of blood surrounding him, the redhead attempted to raise himself up onto his elbows. This was a big mistake. The slight movement Reno was able to make set off a massive bolt of pain through his body and dragged a broken groan from his torn throat.

 _  
_ It had seemed to the almost comatose man that this was pretty much as bad as things could get, but on reflection he was puzzled as to why he had thought this at all. Things could, and would, always get worse for him. It was what he deserved after all... Wasn't it? As the moan of pain echoed in the silent room Reno caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. All he managed to see before he was slammed back into unconsciousness was a foot adorned with a solid steel toed boot heading straight for his face.

 _  
_ 88888

 _  
_ Worried voices filled the air until it seemed like the whole world was full of incomprehensible sounds. Mingled in with the low yet purposeful muttering were the sounds of buzzing and beeping machines. The surface Reno was lying on vibrated with an irregular rhythm suggesting a vehicle and only after placing this sound was he able to distinguish the overriding howl of an ambulance siren defining the background buzz.

   
Forcing himself to go against his better judgement Reno cracked his eyes open a tiny slit and tried to make full sense of what was going on. Right in front of his face, scrutinizing his every twitch was the most beautiful pair of brown eyes he had ever seen. Forgetting he was trying to scope out his situation, Reno's eyes widened and he stared dazedly at the person in front of him. The face containing the eyes withdrew slightly and an urgent gesture drew a medic to their side.

   
Melodic and deep a voice intoned, 'He's awake at least but doesn't seem alert. Run your tests now Mr Wallace before he passes out again. I don't think he will stay conscious for long.'

   
The deep brown eyes drew back further and were replaced in Reno's view by a gigantic blur of brown skin and white paramedic’s uniform. Reno moved his gaze to the shaking ceiling of the ambulance he figured he was in and tried to regulate his breath while the paramedic took his blood pressure and gently palpitated various parts of his anatomy checking for internal injuries. When the man's hands pressed against his left ribcage however Reno let out a choked scream and passed out, falling back into darkness for a long time.

   
88888

   
Tseng tried not to let his emotions show on his impassive tanned face but when Reno cried out and lost consciousness again it was all he could do to refrain from punching something. Instead of releasing his boiling temper, the second in command of the Turks snapped an order at the driver to hurry the fuck up and get to the hospital before he threw him out of the car and took over himself. Just because he did not break things the way Rude had done when he saw Reno's condition did not mean he wasn't feeling just as much rage over the situation.

   
The ambulance hurtled down the narrow streets of Midgar and screeched to a halt at the entrance to the ShinRa Private Hospital. There was a medical centre in the Turk headquarters in ShinRa Corp buildings, but as Reno had been found on Turk premises in his current condition, Tseng was not about to permit his next in command anywhere he might be still at risk. So Reno was whisked past the usual interminable queues and taken straight to a quiet, private room on the fourth floor to await a doctor.

   
Even though the paramedics were very, very quick and efficient at rushing Reno to his room, Tseng was by the side of the stretcher for every inch of the journey. Now, sitting at the side of the bed, the Wutaiin Turk stared blankly at the paler than ever, motionless body of his favourite Turk and brooded on what the hell could have happened to Reno to result in this.

   
88888

   
_5 Hours Earlier._

   
The clouds that so often smothered the Plate due to the mako reactors drifted so low they were almost at head height. Reno sniggered as he looked out of the window at the poor saps who had to scurry through the mist that hung below the clouds. Dragging his gaze back into the building where he worked, Reno swore almost under his breath when his eyes settled on the stack of notes he had to magically turn into a report before tomorrow morning. Half-heartedly he brushed a page of sloppily written notes to the middle of his desk and then proceeded to scatter everything all over the floor jumping for his vibrating phone.

   
After a brief period where man and desk fought for supremacy Reno managed to locate his phone and answer the angry sounding tone. Hanging half over the back of his desk surrounded in crumpled paper he gasped out, 'Yo Reno here, 'sup?'

   
The curt yet bland voice on the other end nearly made Reno swallow his tongue (upside down too, quite a feat) and he yanked himself back into his seat while trying to sound somewhat professional. 'Sorry Sir, just having some trouble with my phone reception. Where do you need me?'

   
Tseng walked past Reno's bomb-site of a cubicle at this point and was amused to see the look of sheepishness mixed with 'oh crap I've been caught' on his subordinate's face. He left before he could see the panic and terror that followed the more innocent expressions as Reno was ordered peremptorily to appear in the basement training room within five minutes.

   
Murmuring an affirmative noise into the receiver Reno hung up his phone and spent two of his five minutes sitting limply in his chair staring at nothing. He had been ordered more than once to report for discipline under any number of superior Turks, but he dreaded the sessions in the basement. These sessions were always under one specific boss and he was never able to leave without finding a Cure Materia from somewhere to help him walk again. Silently he cursed himself for not handing in his (actually finished) report on time this morning. Well, he had only himself to blame for this one.

   
In four minutes and thirty seconds Reno was standing at the door of the lowest training room. He bit his lip in chagrin at being stupid enough to end up here again over a stupid fucking report. Getting control of himself Reno stepped smoothly forward and strolled through the door as if he wasn't about to get the total shit beaten out of him.

88888

   
Standing in the shadows of the small, concrete-brick room was a hulking figure shrouded in shadow and an aura of menace. As Reno walked to stand in the centre of the room, the semi-concealed man circled round behind him and slammed the door closed. Even with the stoic self-control taught in the Turk indoctrination the redhead couldn't suppress a slight flinch as his only avenue of escape was cut off.

   
Veld glared malevolently at his subordinate and took cruel pleasure in the fear he could feel radiating off of Reno. He viciously punished any Turk who was so much as thirty seconds late with a report but he could not express the pleasure it gave him to hear the pained grunts and hisses that Reno in particular voiced during the 'disciplinary sessions'. Silently he continued to circle Reno until he was directly behind the tall man and there he stood motionless until Reno began to tremble slightly in apprehension. As soon as Reno let a shiver run through his form, Veld lunged forward and locked his solid arm around the other man's throat while bulling him forward until he was crushed against the opposite wall.

   
Reno had begun to wonder if his boss had evaporated behind him and shivered at the thought when he suddenly felt his air choked off and found himself smashed against the cinderblock wall. He couldn't help giving a convulsive twist, instinctively trying to free himself but cursed his instincts when Veld sent a thundering left hook into the bottom of his ribcage driving any remaining air right out of him. Helpless against the Director's brute strength Reno settled for trying to get a gasp of air back into his lungs.

   
Totally enraged by the small show of resistance from his inferior agent Veld lost any sense he had left of rules and correctional regulations. He had always reveled in the feeling of breaking the fiery redhead, but this time he would teach the cocky shit who was in charge. He grabbed the wrist of the arm around Reno's neck in his other hand and slowly exerted backwards pressure until Reno was lifted up onto his toes with all his weight hanging from his neck. He kept this excruciating position until he felt Reno go limp and then with all his strength flung the man’s body against the opposite wall.

   
Reno didn't even feel himself hit the wall, he was too disoriented and oxygen-deprived to do more than lie there and suck in rasping breaths. He did however notice his arm fracture in more than one place as he landed on it when he hit the floor. The grinding of his bones forced a scream from his squeezed windpipe but he bit his tongue to stop anything further from escaping his lips. He knew from experience that Veld only got worse if he made a sound.

   
What Reno didn't know was that Veld had already tipped over the delicate line between his usual cruel mindset and madness. The scream Reno had let out only served to inflame him further. A feral smile curling the corner of his mouth Veld stalked slowly across the room enjoying every agonized gasp as Reno sucked in air.

   
Reno's time of relative reprieve was cut off when he felt rather than saw Veld's fist swing down and into his unprotected stomach. He tried to curl up at the explosion of pain in his midsection, but the dark haired man rained down heavy punch after heavy punch until he could hardly lift his arm. Reno stared blankly at his boss's contorted face while trying not to pass out, two tears of pure pain slowly running down his face.

   
Tears. Now that was something Veld had not been able to elicit from the redhead in any previous correctional session. Seeing the look of total torment on Reno's face made something rise up inside of him until his mind was full of a red haze. Placing one heavy, plate-size hand in the centre of Reno's chest to hold him still Veld looked down with hooded eyes.

   
It wasn't until his boss had ripped off his tie and begun to unbutton his shirt that Reno realized things were so much more wrong than he had imagined. As Veld stripped off his shirt one handedly and then went to work on Reno's, the redhead snapped. Swiping Veld's hand away he attempted to scuttle towards the distant door, but was stopped by both a searing pain in his chest and a vice-like grip on his slender ankle.

   
88888

 _  
_ Completely enraged by the insubordination Reno was showing Veld grabbed his ankle and yanked hard. Grinning evilly as Reno crashed down on his already abused chest the Director quickly crawled over on top of the redhead, now holding him down with the full strength and weight of his own body.

   
Dispensing with any formalities like keeping clothes intact on removal Veld tore Reno's work pants at the seams and ripped his own down around his ankles. Not bothering with any prep, Veld placed a hand in the small of the redhead's back to hold him down and brutally shoved his already straining erection into Reno. The torture of Reno so far had served to arouse Veld massively, but the shriek his victim let out upon being entered pushed him over the edge of lust.

   
Pulling out, almost to the tip of his thick cock, Veld slammed back into Reno's body balls deep. Starting a savagely hard and fast pace, Veld grinned a feral grin at the uncontrolled screams of pain he was drawing from Reno at every thrust. Feeling himself getting very close, Veld reached under Reno with one calloused hand and began to mercilessly pump his semi-hard cock. Letting out a guttural chuckle at the fact that his rough treatment had Reno unwillingly aroused, Veld made sure that his last few strokes slammed into the other man's prostate. This coupled with the hand on Reno's weeping cock made the redhead come within a few painful seconds.

   
Once Reno tightened around him Veld ensured that he drove in as deep as possible before letting go and shooting his seed deep inside Reno's shaking body. Pulling out immediately, he began to nonchalantly put his suit back together, making sure he left no evidence on himself of today’s little 'session'. Feeling slightly winded after the intensity of his time with Reno, Veld leaned casually on the wall by the door and watched with sick pleasure as Reno convulsed on the floor.

   
88888

   
'WHAT!?!' Tseng's roar echoed through the mostly empty corridors of Level Four and the doctor in front of him cringed in the face of the intimidating Turk's wrath. Tseng had spent a whole hour twiddling his thumbs (or the stoic Wutaiin equivalent) and had now just been informed of the test results submitted by the paramedics.

   
Lowering his voice down to a dangerous growl Tseng stared at the doctor and gritted out, 'Please repeat that doctor, I'm not sure if I heard you right. What did you say has happened to one of my best Turks?'

   
Trembling so much he was almost vibrating on the spot the doctor held out a quivering sheet of paper. 'He was, well I mean, someone nearly beat him to death Sir. This appears to have happened over the course of at least three hours, and at the hands of a trained soldier. No one else could have caused so much damage to a fully trained Turk Sir.'

   
Sucking in a deep breath Tseng tried to calm himself down. Knowing that Reno was very seriously injured was bad enough, but adding to this the fact that he had been a mere few inches from death made Tseng want to spill some blood. He had never admitted it to anyone, least of all the cocky redhead himself, but Tseng was repressing feelings for Reno that went deeper than the respect of a superior agent to his subordinate. Tseng didn't even want to think right now about the fact that no one but a Turk could have done this to Reno inside the security of their headquarters.

   
Swearing sharply in Wutaiin Tseng turned his back on the doctor and stormed back to Reno's room. The redhead had been out cold for more than an hour now, but Tseng planned to be there asking questions as soon as he woke up. Slumping in the uncomfortable chair by the hospital cot Tseng swore again and settled down to wait.

 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two.

  
It wasn't the steady beeping of machines that woke Reno from the black faint he was in, nor was it the pain that gnawed at every muscle in his lean body. What jerked Reno out of unconsciousness was the undeniable feel of eyes pinning him where he lay. His vivid blue-green eyes immediately flew wide open with panic, and he would have bolted for the door if he had felt like he could even stand without passing out.

  
Tseng had been sitting at Reno's bedside for almost two hours before his hawk-like gaze noticed the telltale signs of his Turk returning to consciousness. He narrowed his eyes when Reno came to and raised a thin eyebrow at the abject fear that immediately appeared in the man's eyes. Staying well back from the bed Tseng locked eyes with Reno and quietly said, 'Reno, you're in the hospital. It's Tseng, there's only me here. You're safe from whoever did this.'

  
On hearing Tseng's familiar voice Reno all but collapsed back onto the bed and let out a shaky breath. He didn't know how he had gotten to the hospital or why he wasn't in the Medical Wing of ShinRa Corp but the fact that Tseng was there and Veld wasn't wiped most other considerations from his mind. Most considerations, but not all. Panic flaring again in his expression Reno abruptly rolled over so his back was to his boss. All that was running through his mind now was 'Oh Gaia. Tseng knows. He knows what had to be done because I fucked up so bad.'

   
Tseng frowned at Reno's prompt withdrawal and leant forward in his seat. 'Reno,' he stated. 'We will find who did this. I need you to tell me what happened so we can bring down this bastard.'

   
Reno interrupted Tseng's words with a painful chuckle that turned into a barking laugh. 'You want to know what happened yo? Just ask those doctors who brought me in. I'm sure they'll tell you in excruciating detail what went on. Come on in and take a look at the Turk who wouldn't learn his lesson yo? And don't bother trying to get out of me who did this. It's not like it would do any good anyway. Just leave.'

   
Tseng was totally stunned at the hollow sound of Reno's usually upbeat voice and sensed that there was a shitload going on beneath the surface of the redhead's words. Slowly getting up out of his chair Tseng walked to the door before stopping and looking back at Reno. 'I'm going to talk to the doctors Reno, but you're on supervision until I say otherwise. I will be back soon and I won't be leaving.'

   
Reno outwardly ignored Tseng as he left the room and closed the door, but as soon as the latch clicked he sat up slowly. The thought of his co-workers knowing the extent of his screw up and the details of the resulting punishments tipped his fragile psyche over the edge and all he could think about was escape. Given a choice Reno would have spent a day or two in the hospital with a Cure Materia or two and given a flamboyant excuse to cover his injuries and absence, but this time there was no hiding what happened from either Tseng or his associates.

   
Ignoring the stabbing pains from his many injuries Reno hobbled from his bed to the door to flip the lock and then he glanced around the room. Broken as he never had been even in his years on the streets of the slums, Reno searched the room for anything he could use to end it all. Swearing softly he almost concluded that the hospital room was empty of anything sufficiently deadly until his steadily more agitated gaze lit on the large window facing over the carpark.  
 

88888

   
Tseng cornered a doctor in one of the interminable off-white corridors, five minutes stalk from Reno's room. Towering a full foot above the physician the Wutaiin Turk quietly informed the doctor of what he would be told in the next few seconds. 'There are things about Reno's condition you haven't told me Doctor and you will relate everything to me. I won't bother making threats, as I judge being alone with me in a quiet corner of the hospital threat enough. Tell me what you haven't told me. Now.'

   
Eyes wide with fear and physically quivering in the face of the Turk's quiet menace, the doctor opened his mouth and just about gabbled the details. 'He, he wasn't just beaten sir, that would have been b-bad enough given the severity of the injuries. The young m-man was brutally r-r-raped by w-whoever beat him, he was almost torn apart by the violence...'

   
The doctor trailed off into terrified silence at the look of raw fury building in Tseng's face. Gesturing sharply for the doctor to go Tseng stood motionless for a full twenty seconds before wheeling around and setting out for Reno's room again. Muttering a fluent string of vituperative Wutaiin swears under his breath Tseng vowed that he would get the identity of Reno's attacker out of his Turk somehow.

   
Arriving back at Reno's room in less than two minutes due to his determined gait, Tseng went to open the door quietly and re-enter the room. Locked. Not good, not fucking good at all. Without missing a beat Tseng drew back and hammered a powerful kick into the door slamming it back against the wall. Luckily Tseng was not the sort to freeze when encountering something terrifying, as when he dashed into the room he was confronted with the sight of Reno framed in the jagged glass of the broken window.  
 

88888

   
Reno hadn't realized just how much his strength had been sapped by the brutal beating and the subsequent few hours of accelerated healing in the hospital so it took him almost five whole minutes to even drag a chair across the room. Reaching into reserves he didn't know he had Reno used his good hand to hurl the steel chair straight through the middle of the glass. As the fragments of the window rained down, Reno suddenly felt overwhelmed by a rather alien sense of modesty and struggled into a clean pair of jeans Tseng must have brought in with him. If he was going to die, Reno was damned if he was going to do it with a bare ass.

   
Once he yanked the pants over his bare hips Reno staggered over to stand in the window frame staring down at the floodlit concrete below. With the very last of his strength he hauled himself onto the bottom windowsill and balanced there for a long second. Startled by the crash of the door behind him, Reno swivelled on the thin strip of windowsill with the balance of a cat and met Tseng's horrified eyes. Gracing his boss with an affectionate ghost of a smile Reno mouthed, 'I'm sorry.' and let himself arch backwards into space.

   
The one thing Reno had not counted on though in his fractured mental state was the almost supernatural quickness that Tseng was able to move with. Without seeming to pass through the intervening space the Turk raced from the door to the window and threw himself out into space reaching desperately for Reno. By merciful chance one strong hand snagged Reno's unbroken wrist and clamped down implacably while simultaneously he latched his other hand onto the lip of the window, holding onto both for dear life.

   
When he felt Tseng's fingers close around his wrist Reno let out an involuntary scream that contained anger mixed with wretched pain and sorrow. The force he let out the sound with, on top of the exertion it had taken to get him out of the window in the first place taxed Reno beyond the limits of his strength and he passed out of consciousness again. The last thing he saw as he fell into darkness was the agonized gaze of a pair of beautiful brown eyes looking down at him.

   
Trying to suppress a horrified shudder at how close the call had been Tseng set about the arduous task of hauling both himself and the dead weight of Reno back over the sill. Once he had them both inside he collapsed with his back to the wall and Reno cradled in his lap. Succumbing to an overwhelming impulse that he would have squashed if he hadn't been so distressed and weary, Tseng let his hand slide down Reno's cheek and cup the man's chin with a feather-light touch.  
 

88888

   
This time when Reno awoke he was in almost complete darkness, and in total silence. The small amount of light that glimmered in the room came from a reading light in the corner, illuminating a thick book in the hands of a shadowy figure seated there. Reno shrank back into the pillows on his bed with a scream caught painfully in his throat. He recognized the scarred and gnarled hands holding the book; sitting in the corner of the room was Veld.

   
A lot happened in a very short period of time. Reno scrabbled backwards off his bed falling heavily to the ground, and in almost the same instant Veld had lunged across the room and hurdled the bed to land right on top of him pinning him to the ground. As Reno lay there frozen with terror Veld grinned a sadistic grin and whispered in his ear, 'Hello Turk.'

   
Veld placed a huge hand over Reno's windpipe and pressed down just enough to make the redhead gag and gasp for breath. 'I know what will happen now Reno, and I know what you will do if you want to keep breathing. You will keep that pretty mouth of yours shut tight about what happened in the basement or what we enjoyed there will seem like a romantic foreplay compared to what I will do. In fact rest assured that before I'm done with you Reno you will be screaming for death. So, no talking okay my little Turk?'

   
With a last heartless smirk Veld slapped Reno hard across the face knocking his head back onto the hard linoleum floor. Pushing himself to his feet and straightening his slightly rumpled suit Veld strode out of the hospital room without a backwards glance. On the floor Reno lay limply in the position Veld left him. The situation he was in had knocked all of his customary carefree nature and cockiness out of him leaving only a soul-draining fear. Losing all semblance of control Reno curled into a ball and tried to choke back wracking sobs.  
 

88888

   
After he had muscled Reno's body back onto his bed Tseng had collapsed to the floor trying to stop his body from shaking. He could not believe how close Reno had come to losing his life, not once but twice in such a short time. On the brief occasion he cared to admit it, even if only in the privacy of his own head, Tseng knew that he felt more for his best Turk than a boss should feel for his employees and he was more shaken by what had happened than he had been by even some of the most horrific missions he had been sent on.

   
When he had finally managed to calm his breathing and regain his iron self-control, Tseng struggled to his feet and gazed down at Reno's still form. Narrowing his eyes Tseng turned reluctantly away from the bed with a plan starting to take shape in his mind. Stepping outside and quietly closing the door Tseng called for a doctor to organize getting Reno into a new room. Preferably one without windows. As soon as he was satisfied that things were happening Tseng stalked out of the hospital to put his putative plan into motion.

   
Tseng kept his face completely impassive as the man in front of him tapped his chin thoughtfully. If there was any other way of keeping Reno safe until he knew what was going on, anyone else he could turn to, Tseng would have done so, but he was out of options. Not even letting his breathing give away the anxiety that was gnawing at him, the Wutaiin Turk stood to attention in front of the desk of Rufus Shinra.

   
Rufus hid a smile as he watched Tseng from under lowered lashes. The man was so controlled, so restrained, but still the vice-president of ShinRa could see his agitation. Drawing the moment out for as long as possible Rufus finally spoke, 'So let me get this straight Tseng. You want Reno withdrawn from active duty for the foreseeable future, for him to be placed in a safe house, and to top it all off you want dispensation to be his full-time guard? Tell me one thing Turk, what possible reason could I have for granting this, and under the very nose of my venerable father no less.'

   
Unconsciously biting his lip Tseng forced himself to meet Rufus' eyes. He knew there was no way he would just get things given to him but it still didn't mean he wanted to bare his soul to the twisted son of Shinra. 'Sir, Reno was beaten almost to death within the walls of ShinRa. It was a brutal assault administered by a trained soldier and the only conclusion I can come to is that it was a Turk that did this. And sir, there is something of the situation you won't be aware of...'

   
Rufus's eyes lit up at this admission and he lent forward to rest his elbows on his desk. 'So Tseng, tell me what is it you haven't told me.' He murmured with a small smile touching his lips, unwittingly echoing Tseng's words from earlier. He did in fact know most of the details of Reno's condition and was interested to see what Tseng would say next.

   
Dropping the formalities and most of his mask Tseng took the risk he had been building up to since the beginning of the meeting. 'Rufus, Reno tried to kill himself just an hour ago. I left him alone in his room for five minutes and he broke a window and jumped. Whatever is going on here isn't just Reno mouthing off and getting punished...' He trailed off seeing the look of complete incredulity on the vice-president's face. 'Sir?'

   
Trying to pull himself together, Rufus closed his gaping mouth and fixed Tseng with a penetrating look. As vice-president of the company he had read the psych profiles on every one of his Turks and Reno's had indicated an almost terminal overabundance of optimism and jaunty good-humour. Of all the things he had expected Tseng to reveal, suicidal tendencies in _Reno_ was not even on the list. 'Alright Tseng you have my attention.' He muttered. 'Now what else is it that you are trying to pretend I can't tell that you are hiding?'

   
Cursing in the privacy of his head Tseng dropped his eyes. 'Well Sir, the… Ah Gaia, the assault wasn't just physical. Whoever beat him half to death… They raped him. Brutally. And Reno won't say who did it. I can't even go after the bastard that did this...'

   
Realizing just how much he had said and inadvertently revealed with those few words Tseng shut his mouth with a snap. Waiting for Rufus to pounce on the inference that he cared deeper for Reno than he should Tseng let the silence stretch into minutes before daring to meet the man's eyes again. What he saw was something he really, _really_ had not expected. Compassion.

   
'Tseng... You might think I'm a heartless bastard and well, my father's son, but I can see that this is affecting you. My father may just see the Turks as his own little dispensable toys, but believe it or not I would prefer to keep you all alive and as happy as possible. Take the house near the edge of the Plate, you know the one, and keep that damn Reno alive. I wouldn't like to think how boring it would be around here without his particular brand of input. You can rest assured that I will be starting an investigation, covert of course, into just what happened and just who made it happen. You will be kept informed on everything.'

   
Ignoring Tseng's unguarded look of shock Rufus sat back in his chair and waved a languid hand. 'Now if that is all, I think you should go and make sure the house is prepared for a long stay. Don't let me keep you.' And with that he turned his chair to face the panoramic window behind him, hiding a smile as Tseng set off, his step much lighter than when he came in.  
 

88888

   
For the third time in as many days Reno awoke to completely unfamiliar surroundings. This time though he forced himself to relax into the soft bed he was lying on and take stock. The room was definitely not in a hospital for a start, the sheets were not the generic puke green for one. And the room seemed full of, well, stuff for lack of a better term. There were three bookshelves chock full of thick books, and under the window there was a desk with a comfy chair. Hang on, window?

   
Sitting up slowly to make sure he didn't open the stitches he sure as hell could feel Reno winced as the memories of the night before crept back into his brain. Furrowing his brow Reno thought back to the end of the memories involving the window, sure that his memories just couldn't be right. He seemed to be able to remember Tseng staring down on his dangling body with an expression as anguished as it was full of love.

   
Sneering to himself Reno gave himself a mental slap. 'Get a grip dumbass, there is no way in the seven circles of hell that could happen. Gaia, I must have been high on painkillers and near death, I just ain't the sort of person people look at like that.'

   
Flopping back onto the bed Reno somehow managed to forget that the day before he had been almost beaten to death. As he hit the bed his ribs ground together and a resounding scream echoed around the house. Almost before the scream had stopped, the door flew open and standing there with his gun at the ready was Tseng. When he scanned the room and found Reno alone, he leant back on the doorframe and clutched his chest.

   
'Gaia's sake Reno are you trying to kill me?' Tseng growled. 'I knew I should have kept you safe in the basement for the first few days.' As he regained his breath Tseng noticed that he seemed to be holding a monologue and that even though Reno was curled into a ball clutching his ribs, he let out a choked sob at the word 'basement'.

   
Tseng swiftly strode over to the bed and sunk to his knees on the carpet. Tilting his head he looked up into Reno's face, cringing slightly at the torment apparent in the man's fine features. Pushing him gently onto his back Tseng lifted the sweat-soaked t-shirt that hung from Reno's lean frame to see if he could ease the pain obviously radiating from the redhead's ribs.

   
Stoic and controlled though he was Tseng couldn't help letting out an angry hiss at the sight of Reno's abused body. There was not one part of his torso that was Reno's normal pale skin-tone, instead his entire chest and ribs were a single mottled black and blue bruise. Biting his lip hard so he didn't curse at the evidence of horrific violence Tseng reached for small container of Cure brand ointment and began to gently apply it to the places where the doctors had said the ribs were broken.

   
Resolutely refusing to look at Tseng Reno bit back a groan at the dull ache that preceded the Cure working. As soon as his boss took his hand away Reno rolled over and gingerly hunched himself into a tight ball. He held his breath until he heard the door close and then let it out in a shuddering sob that turned into burning tears. Reno hadn't let a tear fall since his years in the slums apart from the fateful teardrops with Veld, but now he couldn't stop the quiet keening that escaped from his throat. It was many long hours before Reno cried himself into an exhausted sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

In the hallway outside of Reno's room Tseng hunched over wrapping his arms around his body, trying in vain to hold himself together. He could hear Reno's pain through the wall and every sound of agony cut him deep. Sinking to the ground he pulled his knees to his chest and stared at the opposite wall, in a way standing guard until Reno's crying subsided into silent sleep.  
 

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Screams filled the air, interspersed with ear-shattering explosions. On every exposed piece of dusty ground lay the scattered bodies of the Wutaiin peasants who until recently had occupied the village. Crouched behind a crumbling wall were the group of surviving villagers and a Turk. The Turk, Rude, was searching hurriedly through his pockets to see if he could find any more of his concussion grenades.

   
Finally finding what he was searching for, Rude yanked the pin on the device and peering briefly over the disintegrating wall he lobbed it as hard as he could towards the armored transport that contained the largest amount of enemies. Behind his dark shades Rude's eyes widened as he realized that the blast might knock the wall over, either destroying the people behind it or leaving them completely open to attack. Ignoring the stinging of numerous wounds Rude bodily picked up two of the weaker villagers and dragged the others as far and fast as he could away from the wall.

   
Not a moment too soon. The group hadn't made it twenty meters from their shelter when the grenade detonated, sending everyone flying. The only person who saw the awesome sight was Rude who happened to have turned around to grab the hand of a fallen peasant. The armoured vehicle burst apart at the seams and red hot chunks of metal were flung through the air. In the conflagration that was all that remained of the inside of the transport, Rude could see featureless faces screaming in agony before they melted into the flames. Realizing he had taken far too long to start running again Rude spun on his heel and dashed after his group of survivors, trying for the safety of the forest.  
 

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Silent figures moved like a tide through the trees, probing the thick undergrowth with razor-edged spears. The forest fringe was soundless except for the odd crack of twig underfoot and the pounding thuds as the spears slammed into the earth. Behind the skirmish-line rode three figures on chocobo-back, ignoring the orders of silence in favour of an animated conversation. The largest figure, whose chocobo was staggering under his weight, was the Wutaiin warlord Shuang Gou, self-styled lord of the lands from the Court of the Sea to the Da Chou Mountain.

   
Even though he himself had sent the order for silence Shuang Gou chattered away to his two advisers, blithely ignoring that the rest of his men were trying to listen intently for any sign of the escapees. The attendant called Iwao was uttering monosyllables in a hushed voice, obviously unwilling to stop speaking before the warlord was finished, but also unwilling to jeopardize the search. On the left of the warlord the thin wispy man named Itachi watched the proceedings through veiled scornful eyes.

   
'That mean man is spoiling my beautiful new Kingdom,' whined Shuang Gou in a surprisingly effeminate voice. 'Iwao, what are we going to do to stop this uprising among the people who should be vying to kiss my feet? Itachi, where did that damn man come from?'

   
Stepping soundlessly forward to his commander's side Itachi let a small smile flicker across his thin rodent-like features. 'Warlord, the man who has been wreaking havoc seems to have sprung from out of nowhere a mere three days ago. The only reference I could find for him is something I suspect to be his codename - Landslide. We have as yet been unable to derive meaning from this name but our communications agents are working on the assumption this is cypher for something else. They should have results for you soon my Warlord. The others, the peasants-'

   
Shuang Gou broke in arrogantly talking over his subordinate, 'I don't care about the peasants Itachi, all I want to know is who the hell is stirring trouble somewhere there was no fucking trouble before!'

   
Itachi cringed back as Shuang Gou's voice rose into a wavering shout. He could see the soldiers turning their heads at the sudden noise, but he in no way dared to shush the Warlord. The weaselly man sent a silent prayer up to the gods as Iwao placed a hand on the neck of the Warlord's chocobo bringing them all to a halt and distracting Shuang Gou from his tirade.

   
'My Lord,' Rumbled the massive man. 'The soldiers have found a trail.' for Iwao this amounted to a full blown speech and thus gave both his companions a moment’s pause.

   
After gaping briefly at his taciturn attendant Shuang Gou broke into a hearty laugh and urged his chocobo into a stumbling run. 'The hunt is on my men,' he called back to them. 'We shall run this dog into the ground.'  
 

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Even though the trees and tangled undergrowth gave him and the remaining villagers more cover Rude dared not relax for an instant, urging everyone deeper into the jungle in hopes of finding a refuge. Or failing that a defensible place to take out as many of the enemy before giving in to death.  Multitasking as a good Turk should Rude ripped chunks of jagged metal out of his torso as he ran, trying to keep up with the Cure potion in his other hand.

   
Busy as he was herding the peasants and being his own surgeon Rude almost missed the deep fissure in the rock face he was currently skirting. With a minimum of whispers and many hand signals Rude waved his group into the thin crack, recognizing the telltale signs of an opening to a cave system. Once everyone was in the entrance to the cave the bald Turk paused a second to listen for their pursuers. A second too long it turned out as an unseen enemy let out a yell of discovery before Rude could turn and vanish into the cave too.

   
Knowing that it was only a matter of minutes before the cave entrance was swarming with heavily armed soldiers Rude dashed to the weary group he had gotten this far and motioned for them to split up. This was the only way he told himself, for if one group was caught, the others would be far enough away to escape. Cursing the misinformation that turned a supposedly easy assassination into a race for survival Rude set out after his charges into the black depths of the earth.  
 

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While Rude was facing the dark caves of Glasswood, his fellow Turk Elena was dealing with a very different kind of darkness, one that thrived in the slums and underworlds of the inner cities. Sitting bolt upright in the grotty vinyl chair that served as a waiting area the blonde pursed her lips at the wait. When a flustered receptionist flapped at her to go in Elena rose gracefully to her feet and swept haughtily into the inner sanctum of one of the most powerful crime-lords under the Plate.

   
 As she stalked arrogantly through the chipped and peeling door Elena swore rancorously in her head. She had been doing that almost constantly for three weeks, ever since Veld had dropped her neck deep in the criminal underworld under the pretext of infiltrating a major drug ring. Elena knew that she was not properly experienced in business below the plate and she wondered what had been going through Veld's head when he gave her this assignment. All she could do however was draw on everything Reno had ever told her about the slums and do her best to keep her limbs attached to her body.

   
The blonde woman glared down her nose at the obese slug sitting in front of her, doing her best to portray disdain rather than disgust and not deigning to notice the two heavily muscled wall fixtures on either side of the man. She inclined her head slightly when he waved her to sit down, perching on the edge of the chair. She injected pure ice into her tone for the opening sally, 'I do not intend to be long Mr Jinn, this should be brief.' In her head she started counting down from five.

   
Mr Jinn, the richest underworld figure in Midgar smiled lugubriously at the pretty, slim blonde sitting in front of him and slapped a large brown envelope onto the desk before him. Becoming slightly uneasy as the woman just stared at him Mr Jinn stuttered, 'Here is the first instalment of your order Akunin, but as you know we will need the money before the remainder is forthcoming.'

   
Elena's mental countdown hit zero just as Mr Jinn broke the silence and she sneered subtly. She was expecting this lame attempt at a double cross and was almost disappointed at how blatant the man was in his machinations. Unfolding her arms Elena directed a poisonous glare at Mr Jinn and stood abruptly, turning to leave the room. 'I don't believe this was the agreement,' she hissed. 'And if you think I have the money on me, you are sadly mistaken.'

   
Then out of the corner of her eye Elena saw something that sent a chill down her spine. Mr Jinn was not looking frightened anymore, he was smirking. Elena halted mid-step as his newly sharp tone reached her ears. 'Miss, you will turn around and sit down. I am not finished with you yet.'

   
Turning robotically Elena tried to hold her head high and perched again on the edge of the chair. She met his eyes impassively, waiting for his next utterance. She didn't have to wait long. Drawing out the moment Mr Jinn finally spoke again. 'What made you think that you could come here without backup, Miss Elena Turk? I am curious at your boldness.'

   
As her real identity left his lips Elena knew she had been betrayed and that unless she thought quickly she would not be leaving the room alive. Forcing terror into her eyes she stuttered convincingly, 'I work for the Turks but I'm not one yet. Do you think a real Turk would be stupid enough to come in here without a partner? If you let me go I can lead you to my operator, I don't owe them anything...'

   
Elena was cut off mid-sentence as a blur of motion came from beside her, a large calloused hand slamming into her jaw. She was spun off the chair onto the floor and sprawled onto her stomach, fighting to not black out. The blonde woman felt the cold hand of fear clench in her gut and she knew in that instant that she was going to die. Squeezing her eyes shut she waited for the shot that would finish her.  
 

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Rude watched briefly as four peasants scurried down a tiny shaft to the left of the entrance of the caves. Shepherding the remaining six, still supporting the two weakest children Rude started as quickly as possible down the centre tunnel. Hoping to Gaia for an offshoot the Turk hustled everyone through the dank and shadowy tunnels as fast as they could move.

   
Unknown to Rude and his group though, the soldiers were not the only ones to try and follow his movements through the caves. Hidden in a tiny nook at least thirty feet above the ground a slim figure silently pressed a gently glowing scan materia into her forearm, using her other arm to shield the yellow iridescence that resulted. Bright purple eyes darted over what seemed to be thin air, but was actually scale placements of everyone now within the cave systems viewable only by the materia holder. With a small sniff the figure quenched the materia light and seemed to fly down the tunnel after Rude.

   
As Rude and his group wound deeper into the caverns he could feel the tingle on the back of his neck that told him he was being watched. Gritting his teeth as he hauled a silently crying child to his feet for the fiftieth time he tried to work out who could be shadowing him and the people he was trying to protect. One thing he was sure of was that it wasn't one of Shuang Gou's soldiers as they would have been slaughtered the moment they were sighted. Under the pretext of checking on some of the straggling peasants Rude snapped his head around and was rewarded with a glimpse of pale skin and a trailing sash.

   
As Rude was trying to place the strange vision that flickered across his view, something even more unexpected happened. Out of thin air a figure dropped down to stand in front of the stunned Turk and his small group of unfortunates. Standing in front of Rude with a hip cocked and one eyebrow raised stood a slim woman holding a massive four pointed throwing star nonchalantly at her side. Without a word the woman beckoned the party off the main tunnel and through a miniscule crack into an unanticipated cave beyond.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Names in Chapter Three: Shuang Gou - Twin Hooked Swords (named after his choice of weapon), Iwao - Stone Man (literal translation), Itachi - Weasel. I know I'm using both Japanese and Chinese... So sue me :P**


	4. Chapter Four

A deafening shot rang out, followed quickly by another. Sprawled on the floor Elena let her eyes slide shut for the first shot, but they flew open again at the sound of the second. Totally nonplussed she raised her eyes to see the still body of one of the hired thugs slumped over the desk while the other guard had hit the wall and slid down into a sitting position. Before she could even begin to marshal her thoughts a rough hand grabbed the back of her top and jerked her brusquely to her feet causing her gaze to fall upon Mr Jinn who was still sitting in his chair but now had two small but wicked shuriken buried in his throat.

   
As Elena tried to maintain her footing, she found herself staring into a disconcerting pair of dark red eyes. The pallid face currently evaluating her was framed with long jet-black hair held back by a crimson sash and his lanky body was shrouded in a tattered cape. This was all Elena could take in at one time however and her legs started to shake violently from the shock of her sudden rescue. A voice from the other side of the room rang out drawing the blonde's attention, 'Vincent, get her a chair. She doesn't know you from a bar of soap and is probably petrified that you will go for her throat. I still don't know why you won't just wear the damn uniform.'

   
Still dazedly trying to comprehend what the hell was going on Elena snapped her head around at the female voice. Leaning against the wall languidly and absentmindedly polishing a large red-accented shuriken was a petite, auburn-haired woman with strange brown eyes. Elena prided herself in her ability to read someone simply by looking into their eyes, but with this woman it was almost like there was no one looking back. A shiver ran up Elena's spine for she had never before come across someone so utterly shuttered off behind their eyes.

   
Feeling a nudge at the back of her knees Elena fell backwards with a squeak before realizing that the man named Vincent had pushed a chair up behind her. Letting out a long steadying breath the usually unflappable blonde attempted to marshal her thoughts and start thinking coherently again. A deep frown spread across her face however as the unassailable facts of what had just happened finally registered for her.

   
A growl emerged from her throat and Elena snarled aloud, 'How in the name of ever-loving FUCK did that brainless bastard know I was with the Turks? This was meant to be a deep goddamn cover mission and he knew exactly what and who I was... WHAT THE FUCK!' Panting hoarsely Elena stared wildly at the impassive agents who looked up briefly from the bodies they were arranging before going back to their work. Struggling with the crazy thoughts now whirling through her mind Elena slumped in her chair and tried manfully not to pass out.

   
The two new Turks managed to clean up and arrange the bodies in Mr Jinn's rundown lair in less than thirty minutes and as Elena was finally regaining control of herself Vincent and the as yet unnamed woman hustled her out into the discreet black car waiting across the road. Bundling her into the back with a minimum of fuss the two unfamiliar agents set straight off for ShinRa-Corp but for some reason once they were close they veered away from the front entrance of the huge building complex and cut down the right side towards the executive blocks.

   
Finally reclaiming some semblance of composure Elena shrugged off Vincent's helping hand to get out of the vehicle and smoothly slid out of the door. Holding herself bolt upright and keeping any expression off of her face Elena took a deep breath before walking through the side door of the most lavish of the ShinRa-Corp properties, she had finally figured out where she was going and was not looking forward to the forthcoming meeting one bit.  
 

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The small group of bedraggled fugitives staggered into the huge cave after the strange girl and collapsed onto the many boulders that littered the floor. Their mysterious Good Samaritan slid a glowing green materia into her forearm and spread her fingers wide holding up a handful of flickering flames. The fire cast light over a tiny portion of the cave, but even that small illumination caused every member of the group to gasp in unabashed wonder.

   
The massive cave they now occupied shimmered in the firelight like the inside of a diamond. The escapees were surrounded by glittering ice-like planes and subtle rainbows danced at the edge of sight. The cavern that currently served as their refuge caught everybody spellbound and even the jaded and cynical Rude was struck momentarily speechless at the otherworldly beauty he stood surrounded by.

   
Being the first to pull himself together Rude leant towards the girl and caught her eye. Making sure he was holding her unusual violet gaze the Turk spoke for the first time since entering the caves. 'We are grateful and all for you leading us away from those bastards, but who the hell are you and what is your stake in this war?'

   
The group of peasants listening to Rude's opening question huddled together nervously at the combative tone of his words. Anticipating either being left to rot in the tunnels or an offended stab with the giant shuriken the girl held nonchalantly the quivering people were stunned when the girl let out a lilting laugh. With a fleeting grin she winked at Rude and laid down her weapon to spread her hands wide. 'Spoken like a true Turk, Rude of ShinRa. And now that we have a little time I’ll enlighten you. I am the great ninja Yuffie, princess of Wutai, and I was sent by a mutual friend to make sure you didn't end up fertilizing my forest. You are a lot more use to everyone concerned while you are still breathing.'

   
Behind his ever-present sunglasses (yes, even in the caves) Rude's chocolate brown eyes widened; the fact that sitting before him was the princess of Wutai was not nearly as shocking as the fact that they had a 'friend' in common who placed a high price on his safety. Taking a moment to assimilate the facts before him Rude let out a long breath; he sent a reassuring smile towards his tagalongs and turned his attention back to the waiting Yuffie. 'I almost don't know where to start,' he admitted. 'But I think first priority should be getting all of us somewhere safe. Once we're out of here I can worry about the why of things. So, I assume you brought us to this cave with a plan in mind?'

   
Giggling again, this time at the Turk's self-control Yuffie folded her arms confidently. 'Sir, I am THE great ninja, of course I have an escape route. In fact from this room I have five different ways to reach the forest, none of which will take us near the bumbling idiots chasing you. In a mere fifteen minutes we will be safe at Shadowtree and the soldiers will be nothing but echoes in the caves.'

   
Rude followed the flamboyant gesture that Yuffie made towards the wall directly above them and suppressed a grin as the flames still in her hand caused a tiny gap to glitter strangely. Getting up and pulling himself up to the opening he felt a faint breeze caress his face and saw a glint of evening sunlight on the crystal walls of the aperture. Beckoning to the decidedly more cheerful group under his protection Rude let Yuffie lead the way and began boosting people into the secret passage. Waiting until the last child was in the tunnel Rude crawled in himself and barely managed to quash a yell when Yuffie triggered a Destruct Materia that brought half the roof of the sparkling cave crashing down just beyond his feet.  
 

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Sitting at the small table in the kitchen of the safe-house Tseng stared blankly into space. It had been almost three days since he got permission from Rufus to take Reno out of the Turk environment and the redhead had refused to leave his room even to eat. For Tseng, seeing the usually upbeat Reno so bleak was seriously fucking with his head and coming to a decision he pushed back from the table and strode towards the stairs. Today he would snap Reno out of this at least enough to leave his room; the current state of affairs simply could not continue.

   
The still body on the bed flinched visibly as Tseng pushed the door open and Reno cringed away to be as close to the wall as he could as the second in command of the Turks sat on the edge of the bed. Tseng's expressionless face showed none of the pain he felt at seeing Reno so broken and he sat quietly trying to compose a coherent sentence in his head. A change in the air made the Turk raise his head and he locked eyes with Reno who was now staring at him.

   
In a voice hoarse from night time screaming and otherwise lack of use Reno whispered, 'Yo, I think I'd like some dinner Tseng. Hey and do ya think I could get these damn stitches out?' As his words hung in the air a ghost of his old grin drifted across Reno's face, 'And close your mouth yo, you're catching flies.'

   
Stunned at the sudden turnaround Tseng shut his mouth with an audible snap. Carefully, like he was handling delicate crystal, he helped Reno up from the bed and supported him so he could stand. Catlike reflexes coming into play three times between the bedroom and the upstairs bathroom Tseng caught Reno every time the redhead swayed or staggered. Once he had Reno safely seated on the edge of the bath he waited for the man to take off his light silk pajama top so he could remove his numerous stitches.

   
Even though the Cure had done its job well Reno was still covered in horrific blotchy yellow and greenish-blue bruises. Meandering down his chest from just below his collarbone to the bottom of his sternum was a series of thirty rough stitches and another patch of eight stitches where the skin had split over his broken ribs. Tseng ran his gaze over the other line of twelve stitches that had assisted in holding Reno's forehead closed and he swallowed the growl building in his throat. Even as a veteran Turk he seldom saw such brutalization outside of an interrogation room.

   
Taking a pair of silver scissors from the sink Tseng turned to Reno and halted in a rare moment of hesitation. He could field-medic with the best of them and had performed minor surgery on his Turks in far worse situations, but right now he couldn't think of anything worse than steadying his hand and snipping the knotted black synthetic sutures from Reno's skin. Lifting his hand he paused again at Reno's forehead and lost in his thoughts nearly leaped out of his skin when Reno's hand slid slowly over his own, holding it steady.

   
Both men froze and almost without either of them making it happen blue-green eyes met chocolate brown. In that moment Tseng had no time to raise his ironclad defenses and so Reno was hit with the full force of his boss's pain and something else that he could not believe. Recognizing the raw and almost desperate love swirling in Tseng's eyes Reno tore himself away from Tseng's hands and shoved himself backwards. Unfortunately behind him was the empty space of the bath and with a gasp Reno fell flat on his back into the tub. Scrabbling to sit up Reno kicked himself backwards until he was hunched against the taps.

   
The moment his patient startled and pushed him away Tseng was already cursing himself. He never lost control and he never ever let down his internal barriers, yet here he was with naked longing in his gaze and emotion causing his normally steady hands to shake. Gritting his teeth Tseng swore not to let his feelings overwhelm his good sense and he also promised himself that he would keep his hands off of Reno and not screw the man up more than he already was. He shook his head, it wasn't like Reno the womanizer would ever go there even given better circumstances.

   
Tseng was pulled from his internal recriminations by a raspy whisper from the bathtub and turned to see Reno steadfastly refusing to meet his eyes and using the lip of the bath to pull himself to his knees. 'Ya know that I still want those stitches out right Tseng? It's not brain surgery yo.'  
 

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It was only sheer bloody-mindedness that was keeping Elena on her feet in the plush office of Rufus Shinra. She been hustled up there through the back hallways by the strange pair who had blown away Mr Jinn and his cohorts and as far as she could ascertain, not one ShinRa employee knew that the three of them were out of the slums let alone in the building. Elena could feel the son of Shina's eyes on her and forced her gaze not to waver from the highly polished desktop in front of her.

   
Rufus stared at the blonde Turk standing stoically in front of him and completely absent from his expression was his feeling of relief over Vincent and Cissnei, his newly recruited Turks, getting to Elena in time. He would have sent someone sooner to extract her from her cover, but he had needed to take the time to sound out the new recruits and gauge their loyalty or lack thereof to Veld. Rufus had long suspected that the commander of the Turks (and his father's longtime friend) had been abusing his position, but until the situation with Reno he had been unaware of the depth of Veld's insanity.

   
Letting out a sigh that nearly caused Elena to swallow her tongue Rufus gestured to Cissnei to get Elena a chair. As the blonde sank gratefully into the seat the son of Shinra picked up some papers from his desk and shuffled them into order before saying quietly, 'I can see in your eyes Elena that you are making connections about what is happening here at ShinRa. What you are about to hear should fill in the rest of the blanks. Just listen for the time being and I'll answer the questions that I can afterward.'

   
'I will start by saying unequivocally that I believe our Director Veld to be insane. And that because of his high standing amongst my father's friends he is currently almost untouchable. I also believe that it is Veld who is responsible for both your blown cover in the slums and the lack of communication I have had from Rude in Wutai. You would have heard through your undercover communications that Rude was recently sent to the warzone in Wutai but I can tell you the reason behind it.'

   
By this point Elena was staring at Rufus with her mouth open and a look of penetrating intensity on her face, but Rufus continued inexorably, 'Just before Rude was sent on his mission there was an incident with Reno. He was beaten so badly that he nearly died here on ShinRa Corp property. He is recovering slowly and is on supervised leave at an undisclosed location while I conduct the investigation into this. You understand Elena that I know it was Veld who did this but I need to move carefully before I can take down a man who is hidden so deep in the pockets of my father.'

   
Stunned almost to the point of catatonia Elena just sat and stared through her boss. When Mr Jinn had revealed that he knew she was a Turk Elena knew for sure there was a leak in ShinRa, but she had in no way guessed that the one responsible for her brush with death was none other than Veld, her commander. It was almost too much for Elena to take in that Rude could be in danger too and that Reno, incorrigible and irrepressible Reno, had nearly died.

   
Under her breath but clearly audible to all in the room Elena growled, 'I never would have dreamed... I knew that sick fuck got too much pleasure out of punishing infractions...'

  
Finally picking up on something niggling at her Elena snapped her icy gaze to Vincent and Cissnei and barked, 'You! You were hired to replace Rude and I once we were disposed of! What the hell... Did he start training you as soon as I was in the slums?'

   
In a rare moment of compassion Rufus moved from behind his desk and laid a steadying hand on the female Turk's shoulder. Giving Elena a moment to get to grips with the overwhelming sense of betrayal Rufus began to speak again, 'Veld does not consult me on new recruits, but I was watching the company records and saw four new names on the payroll only a day after you were dispatched. Veld must have been already been planning on taking out at least you and Reno.'

   
Letting his hand fall from Elena's shoulder Rufus strode to the window and stared out over the darkening silhouette of ShinRa Corp. 'Veld hired the new Turks to try and cement his power base, but he couldn't repress his need for inflicting pain and humiliation. Vincent and Cissnei were punished severely for minor infractions and actually came to me to see if I could temper his disciplining methods. Needless to say I have failed badly at that and so instead I offered an alternative. They could stay as Turks under Veld, but secretly work with me to bring him down. Their first task against Veld's orders was to retrieve you and I'm pleased to say that they have proved themselves admirably.'

   
Turning back to the three silent Turks Rufus let a tiny vicious smile play around the corners of his mouth. 'Now then, I think we should get down to the real business. It won't be easy to take down Veld, but time is wasting, don't you agree?'


	5. Chapter Five

Tseng sat across the small table from Reno, an uncomfortable silence filling the air. Still cursing himself for letting his guard down earlier Tseng could hardly look at Reno in case he saw disgust or worse, pity. For his part Reno was so lost in his own dark thoughts that he wouldn't have noticed if Tseng had put on bunny ears and started hopping around the room. Though his eyes were insisting that he did see what he thought he saw in Tseng's eyes, Evil Reno in his head was having a ball reciting every reason why it just wasn't so. Chewing but not tasting his dinner Reno could do nothing against the litany of disparagement that echoed in his head.

   
'Heya Reno, yo little slumrat! You know that I call you this because no matter how hard you try you will never be anything else. I mean come on yo, Veld obviously saw how worthless and pathetic you are and acted accordingly so clearly it's only a matter of time before everyone else who knows you sees just what you are.'

   
'Honestly Ren-Ren,' Evil Reno purred using Reno's nickname from the slums. 'Look at Tseng just sitting there so perfect. What is there about you that someone like him could ever love? I think your wishful thinking made you see something that could never be there. What you saw, my flame-headed fuckwit, was really just Tseng's torture at having to be responsible for your sorry self. Can't you tell how he just doesn't want to be near you? Why won't you just give up and concede that you are valueless and inferior in every way?'

   
Choking on his pasta Reno set down his fork and stared at the table blankly. It was bad enough to have in his head all the memories stored there, but to be ripped to shreds essentially by part of himself was nigh on unbearable. At the muffled cough Tseng bit his tongue and frantically cast around for something to break the tension. He wracked his brains and finally remembered something that Rufus had told him in a coded phone call two days ago.

   
'I have some news from ShinRa.' Tseng stated abruptly in hopes of breaking through to Reno. 'We have been rather short-staffed recently, so the Turks have been recruiting. We now have four new agents fresh from training to cover any missions that...'

   
Tseng broke off suddenly as he caught the look that crept over Reno's face. The usually smiling Turk had an expression of pure horror written across his fine features and had gone a sickly grey. Stuttering so badly that he could barely get the words out Reno growled, 'G-g-goddammit it Tseng, when did this h-happen yo? How long have the new Turks been with Sh-shinRa?'

   
Reno knew, even if Tseng didn't, that as soon as the new Turks were through the doors of ShinRa Corp they would be easy prey for the deranged Veld. Even though he was still barely able to walk Reno couldn't bear the thought of anyone having to suffer through the frequent punishments, and it was even less acceptable that these unsuspecting rookies would be suffering in his place. Jumping to his feet Reno was halfway to the door before Tseng could even leave his chair.

   
'Bái mù!' Tseng cursed himself and leaped out of his seat. Thanks to his unnatural speed he was able to catch Reno just before the redhead started tearing at the front door in a frantic effort to get out. Quick as the Wutaiin was though Reno was quicker in his desperation and the only way Tseng could grab him was to grasp the trailing scarlet strands of his ponytail.

   
The resulting events happened in a fraction of a second and left Tseng bent double and wheezing against the doorway. As soon as he felt the wrench on his hair all sense of reason, time, or place left Reno. Whipping around he slammed an elbow into Tseng's stomach and stumbled away, head spinning, into the kitchen. Grabbing for a knife he fumbled and nearly dropped it, a line of blood stretching across his palm.

   
'Tā mā de!' Losing control and swearing for the second time in as many minutes Tseng raced off in Reno's wake. Seeing the man in the kitchen, holding a knife and bleeding made his breath catch in his throat and almost without thinking Tseng once again hurled himself bodily at Reno. Seizing the man's wrist he twisted the knife easily out of Reno's weakened hand and using himself as a weight he tried to calm Reno down.

   
Unfortunately for Tseng this was about the worst thing he could have done, for Reno was in the grip of a flashback so vivid he could taste the blood in his mouth. Letting out an incoherent scream Reno shoved Tseng away from him and bolted headlong for the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time he was into his bedroom before Tseng could catch him and slumped against the lockless door to hold it closed.  
 

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The shimmering leaves of Glasswood barely moved as the silent figure of Yuffie the ninja sped through the trees. Her task of leading Rude and his surviving refugees to a safe haven now completed, the princess was out on an even more dangerous mission. As evidenced by the large male corpse bound securely across her shoulders this operation was a lot less pleasant.

   
The scowl on the young woman's face was less about the body she was carrying and more for the materia she had to use up for the job. Yuffie mouthed a curse at having to use a perfectly good Berserk materia for essentially nothing more than a strength boost. If she could have sent one of her father's bulky warriors in her place she would have, but she was the only one who knew the location of the rockfall that supposedly claimed Rude's life.

   
Approaching the cave system the dark haired shadow slowed her pace and made a meandering circuit to make sure there was no one following her. Satisfied that no one had yet been ordered to verify the death of the insurgents against the Warlord Yuffie ended her scenic detour and skipped nimbly up a hillock and through a seemingly solid cliff-face.

   
Yuffie dragged the bulky corpse behind her down a passage that ran parallel to the one that served as an escape for Rude and the villagers, it was in fact one of the five escape routes she had bragged about to Rude. In the pitch darkness Yuffie manhandled the body out of the tiny crack near the roof of the cave and indifferently perched on the dead man's back to manipulate another fire materia. With her hand in flames she took a second to smile at the glowing rainbow crystals before setting about completing her task.  
 

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Ironically much the same time that Yuffie was hauling dead-weight around Glasswood, Vincent was pursuing a similarly distasteful mission in the Sector One slums. It was the work of five minutes to locate the Sector One Morgue and once he cowed the morgue director by flashing his ShinRa ID it took only a further fifteen minutes to find a body that matched Elena's general description. The director became a little perturbed when Vincent made it clear he meant to take the remains, but when Vincent put him on the phone to none other than Rufus Shinra, the man was all but offering to carry to dead woman himself.

   
Moving like a wraith Vincent went through a performance much like Yuffie's undertaking by flitting for miles around Mr Jinn's old lair to shake any possible tail following him. Holding the body effortlessly Vincent used his unique skill to whip in and out of existence at least eight times in different places before he judged it safe to appear at the ramshackle house. Using the deep shadows of post-midnight as cover Vincent slipped around the open door and entered the dwelling.

   
First Vincent satisfied himself that no one had gone near let alone moved the bodies of Mr Jinn and his cohorts. Only after he had checked the Barrier materia he had hidden by the window and door did Vincent dump the body on the floor and check the pouch at his waist to make sure he hadn't dropped the things he needed to pull off this crazy scheme of Rufus'.

   
Because he had spent the last few hours lumping round a corpse Vincent resisted running his fingers through his hair even though it was now slightly matted with sweat and hanging in his face. 'Just a few more things to finish,' he told himself, 'And this will be done with.' He carefully dressed the dead body in one of Elena's old uniforms and wedged one of her guns in its hand before splaying the body on the ground. Standing smoothly the newly recruited Turk surveyed his handiwork.

   
The two bodyguards that had nearly done for Elena were now crumpled to the ground on the right side of desk, as if they were starting towards her and were shot one after the other. Mr Jinn was seated behind his desk with his gun in his hand resting on the desk. Cissnei had removed her shuriken from his throat and Vincent had obliterated the wounds by firing one round into the same spot. Vincent had also fired one shot into the dead woman after applying a cure materia for a brief second; he hoped this would simulate the body being alive at the time of the shooting.

   
Letting out a short sigh Vincent pursed his lips but otherwise showed no signs of distaste for the job he had just completed. The room looked pretty convincing as the scene of a Turk getting caught undercover, but just to make sure the black haired Turk pulled out a green Confuse materia and activated it by throwing it in the air just as he left the room. By the time the door shut the green glow had already gone and anyone walking into the room would find themselves unable to think deeply about anything that might look wrong. Although Vincent mused, if they spent longer than half an hour in the room they might find it difficult to recall their own name.

   
Pausing just outside the door Vincent palmed a Sense materia and scanned the surrounding streets for any of Mr Jinn's allies or subordinates. The yellow glow that surrounded his hand revealed only a couple of gangs of street children with no weapons, and a definite lack of organized criminals. Vincent curled his lip slightly at the ineptitude of Mr Jinn's allies; if his boss had been assassinated he would have had the building locked down within an hour. Twisting his cloak around himself Vincent disappeared in a swirl of red, heading back to report to Rufus.  
 

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As he was right on Reno's heels Tseng had to jerk back his hand when Reno slammed the bedroom door. Hearing the redhead's body lean against the door to hold it closed Tseng was reluctant to try and force the door open as he wanted to avoid hurting Reno further at all cost. Propping his hands near the top of the door and hanging his head Tseng started speaking softly but clearly to the man in the other room, 'What happened Reno? I don't even know what I said wrong. Let me in and I swear we can work out what's happening. I can help...'

   
On the other side of the bedroom door Reno was barely able to hear Tseng's words through the roaring in his brain. Memories of Veld on top of him battering him senseless seemed to hover in front of his eyes, blocking the here and now. When he turned to the left he saw himself held by his throat against the wall by the hulking Veld and when he frantically twisted to his right he was assailed by the sight of his own limp body being viciously raped. Still leaning against the door Reno sank his fingers into his hair and pulled hard, about ready to just give up and go insane. That is until by chance his wild eyes lit upon the bottle of lorazepam that doctor had prescribed to help him sleep.

   
After nearly ten minutes of borderline pleading with Reno to 'Just open the damn door Reno, that's an order Reno, for goddamn Gaia's sake _please_ Reno...' Tseng stiffened in horror as he heard a soft thud from the bedroom. The door suddenly sagged inward slightly but still wouldn't open any further than an inch. Heart in his throat Tseng crouched down and applying his considerable strength began to steadily shove open the door. When he had worked the door maybe six inches open Tseng was just able to see Reno's leg and foot, it looked like Reno was now sitting against the door.

   
'Damn it Reno, talk to me!' Tseng snarled harshly. He was thoroughly unnerved by Reno's uncharacteristic silence and the longer it continued the more sure he was that all hell was about to break loose. 'Gǒupì, just say something you little...'

   
Tseng cut himself off before he could even get started on his tirade, for barely audible over his growling Reno was speaking. If possible Tseng's tension notched up even tighter because it hardly even sounded like Reno anymore. 'I'm sorry yo... Never good enough for this Turk shit anyways. S'Okay though, s'gunna be alright kay Tseng? Y'don't need to worry no more yo 'coz everything's gunna be fine soon. Then you can go Tseng... Right? And that'll be good 'coz you don't need to be here yo...'

   
Throughout the disjointed speech Reno's voice was wavering from almost clear to quite faint, but with the last two sentences he trailed into a whisper before falling silent. Even before the last words registered properly in his mind Tseng was hurling his full weight at the door. He still didn't want to hurt Reno by bursting in, but his sense of things being dreadfully wrong made him throw caution to the winds. The door flew half open when he hit it and his momentum carried him into the centre of the room before he spun and stumbled to his knees by Reno's still form behind the door.  
 

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It was dark in the executive suite at ShinRa Corp. Shadows filled the corners of the lavishly carpeted corridors and the wind howled outside as it failed to rattle the tightly fitted windows. The moon's pale glow struggled to penetrate the Mako Reactor generated fog over the massive plate that was Midgar. Slumber had settled over most of the city as the clocks chimed 4am, but for some sleep proved to be an elusive beast.

   
Elena hunched in the unfamiliar bed that Rufus provided for her. Now that she was officially dead there was no way she could go back to her apartment and she hated being without the comfort of her own home. Even though she wasn't in the same building that the Turk Director worked in and even though Veld was probably at his own home snoring in bed, Elena could feel tension settling into her body just being at ShinRa Headquarters. Clutching the gun that she always kept under the pillow Elena struggled vainly to calm her thoughts and get some sleep.

   
Across the hallway in his own plush boudoir Rufus wasn't even making an effort at sleep. Ignoring his giant four-poster bed he sat in the darkness at his desk, leaning back in his cushioned chair and staring intently at a current game of chess laid out in front of him. He often used the game of chess to visualize his plots and to plan the ramifications of various schemes, but never had the wooden pieces been used to represent something so potentially deadly to himself. Now that the first moves had been made Rufus knew that things could only get more perilous for him and the Turks he had come to value, even care about. Sacrifices would have to be made and right now the least of them would be a good night's sleep.

   
Near the edge of Sector Zero Vincent sat on the roof of his rundown house. He stared up at the hazy moon and tried to think calmly about the happenings at ShinRa. He had only been working under Veld for a week before he noticed the extreme nature of the 'discipline' that was meted out for even minor infractions and during that week he had observed the rookie he joined with, Cissnei, come back from a punishment session sporting a broken finger and bruised ribs. When Vincent himself had been subject to punishment in the second week he had talked Cissnei into coming with him to try and report the abuse of power to Rufus Shinra. For someone who kept his emotions under strict control, Vincent was having difficulty restraining his rage when he remembered the pain on his partner's face, in fact even on relatively normal nights that memory still troubled his sleep.

   
Many miles away in the breathing green forests of Glasswood, the Wutai Resistance slept secure in the safe haven of Shadowtree. At least, most of them slept. Sitting with his back against a gnarled and twisted tree Rude watched the shifting shadows that moved over the forest floor. He had been on the continent of Wutai for three days now and he had two things gnawing away at his mind. The first was the identity of the mysterious person who sent Yuffie to his aid. The second was more amorphous, but more troubling and had to do with how he had been located by the warlord's forces. 'All in all,' thought Rude. 'I'll be surprised if I ever get some sleep.'

   
In the safehouse in Sector Five Reno lay unconscious on the floor. Tseng spent a brief moment shaking him roughly to try and wake him, but this dislodged the pill bottle still in Reno's hand. Taking this in in a split-second Tseng was out of the room as fast as he could move and he returned mere seconds later with a large glass of heavily salted water and a sopping wet washcloth. Tseng squeezed the cloth over Reno dripping a steady stream of cold water onto his face and the second Reno groaned and tried to turn his face away Tseng was ready, scooping his arms under the thin Turk. Propping him as upright as he could Tseng force-fed the salt water as fast as he dared into his patient until Reno choked and began to retch.

   
The Wutaiin Turk turned Reno so he was on his side in his arms and held him while the redhead vomited up the remains of the large amount of pills he had swallowed. Tseng ignored the smell and sick going everywhere and kept a steadying hand rubbing in circles on Reno's back as he brought it all up. Stretching his arm out to grab the glass of pure water sitting on the bedside table Tseng waiting for the retching to stop and offered the cup to Reno. When the other man didn't take the offered vessel Tseng looked down and saw those blue-green eyes sliding closed.

   
Shoving the glass onto the floor Tseng gathered Reno into his arms and slapped him harshly across the face.  Shaking Reno's limp body he lost all self control and heard himself moaning, 'Oh Gaia Reno please... Stay awake Reno... Tā mā de niǎo... Please, you can't Reno, you can't go to sleep...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations:  
>  Bái mù - Blind idiot  
> Tā mā de niǎo - Goddammit  
> Gǒupì - Shit**


	6. Chapter Six

Dawn rose over the camp at Shadowtree without sleep passing within shouting distance of Rude. When the sun finally sent questing rays through the thick forest he was still staring into the distance and compulsively clenching his fists. Many things were running through the mind of the taciturn Turk, so many questions and a total dearth of anything resembling an answer. The two main things gnawing at his thoughts were the identity of Yuffie's contact, their so called mutual friend, and the other thing that tore away at him was that he had no idea if Reno was alive or dead.

   
Letting his head fall back against the tree behind him Rude stared at the rippling green canopy above his head. He had been the one to find Reno in the dungeon all alone and at the edge of death and he had been the one to cradle his partner's limp body while frantically calling Tseng. His right fist was still slightly stiff, as when he had first seen Reno lying in a pool of blood he had lashed out as hard as he could, putting a large hole in the cinderblocks that formed the basement walls. He hadn't even been able to go with Reno and Tseng to the hospital for Veld had dispatched him to Wutai that very night. He had sent a silent apology to Reno for abandoning him even though Reno knew how it worked when you were a Turk.

   
A shadow fell across Rude's face and he inwardly cursed that someone had managed to sneak up on him. Even though he was supposedly safe he wouldn't be a proper Turk if he lost his awareness of the world around him. Keeping his face impassive Rude flicked his gaze up to the figure standing over him and in a neutral tone said, 'Good morning Yuffie, anything I can help you with?'

   
Out of the corner of his eye Rude could see a smile stretching across the face of the Wutaiin Princess. He resisted blinking as a hand was thrust towards his face and a lively voice chirped, 'Come on Rude, I don't know why you didn't sleep in a tent. Anyways we need to get ourselves to my tent for now is the time for all things to become clear. Oh don't give me that look, I get to tell you everything I know so hurry up.'

   
At Yuffie's words Rude sat there for a moment and stared with his mouth hanging open. Quickly pulling himself together he took the offered hand and used it to haul himself upright. Resisting the overwhelming urge to groan as stiffened muscles complained about the night spent outside, Rude trailed after Yuffie through the maze of the camp. Even though it was only just past dawn the camp was bustling with activity and the camp members that Rude had brought in all looked up when he passed and murmured small blessings and words of gratitude.

   
As they strode towards Yuffie's tent on the far side of the camp Rude put a hand on the young woman's shoulder and muttered, 'The villagers, the people with me when you retrieved us from the caves, what will happen to them now? Their homes are gone, families are split apart and most of the people they have ever known are dead. Will they have a place in the resistance even if they are no use for the fight that will come?'

   
Yuffie turned to glare at Rude but when she saw the serious expression on his face her own hard gaze softened. Placing gentle fingers over the large scarred hand on her shoulder the ninja girl smiled again and said a little wryly, 'You aren't in the East anymore Rude, we don't leave our people to die in the crossfire. The people that you worked so hard to save will be sent to the city of Wutai and should they choose they will never have to see combat again.'

   
Touched by the girl's earnestness Rude blinked behind his sunglasses and met her smile with a tiny quirking of his lips. Noting that they had reached a gaudy purple tent Rude stood back and let Yuffie enter her own quarters first before following her in and closing the flap behind him. He paused until the girl draped herself over a tall wooden chair and then seated himself across from her and waited.  
 

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Slouched behind his desk in his office Rufus Shinra attempted to do something he hadn't had much practice at and hated with a passion; he waited. Since dawn had risen over the hulking towers of ShinRa Corp he had read the first twenty pages of eight different books and finally to pass the time between dawn on the Eastern Continent and dawn over Wutai Rufus scanned the data he had managed to hack into from ShinRa medical.

   
The admission records of the on-site emergency room both reassured him that he was doing the right thing, and sickened him beyond belief. Without alerting either the staff at the medical facility or Veld Rufus now held in his hands ShinRa patient records of the Turks from the last two years. Even skim-reading the data Rufus could see that Reno had been admitted to the medical ward thirty eight times for short stays and most other agents in the Turks had been admitted on at least five to ten occasions each. that from the timing were obviously unrelated to any missions.

   
Shaking his head to dispel growing nausea Rufus tossed the papers on his desk and tilted his head back so he could stare at the ceiling. He could have been sitting there for a year for all he knew when a buzz sounded from his vid-com jolting him out of his dark and violent thoughts. Sitting up so fast that he nearly fell off his chair Rufus ran his fingers roughly through his hair and straightened his slightly crumpled white suit before leaning forward and pressing the button to answer the video call.

   
Rufus had to force himself to stifle a sigh of relief when the vid-com screen brightened to reveal the faces of Yuffie and Rude. Composing himself, the son of ShinRa nodded at the beaming face of Yuffie and the gaping face of Rude and without preamble he got right to business. 'Rude, I'm glad to see that you made it to Shadowtree relatively unharmed. Believe me it was tough enough getting young Yuffie to you in time in Glasswood. I thank Gaia that she lives up to her reputation of the great ninja of Wutai, for I can't afford to lose any loyal Turks at this point.'

   
Ignoring Yuffie as she wriggled in delight at the praise Rufus noted the look on Rude's face and fell silent. Five years now he had known the reserved Turk and over that time he had made a point of observing mannerisms and facial cues. The twitch happening at Rude's left temple coupled with and the steady thinning of his lips meant that an eruption was imminent and would probably be a big one. Rufus was prepared to allow Rude some familiarity as the big man had been through the proverbial wringer in a very short space of time.

   
His voice low and dangerous Rude broke the silence, 'Rufus, what the fuck is going on? For the last three days I've been fighting for my life on a mission that should have taken all of three hours. I wasn't even allowed to take Reno to hospital after finding him how I did because apparently this mission was critical to ShinRa's interests.' Rude's voice began to get louder and harsher. 'Then I'm saved by a very competent fighter who nevertheless is little more than a girl and finally I end up here talking to you and it appears you know a hell of a lot more than I was ever told! Now is not the fucking time for double-talk Rufus, what the fuck am I in the middle of?!'

   
Throughout the whole tirade Rufus had sat quietly with his hands folded on his desk. When Rude snarled his last question the blonde man on the other end of the vid-com took a deep breath and raised his cool gaze to meet Rude's furious brown eyes. 'I understand your anger Turk but now isn't the time for indulging in emotion.' Rufus contrived to at the same time sound both understanding and menacing. 'You're right, you are in the middle of something bigger than what you can see, but I am not the architect of this. To cut this short Rude, when you found Reno in the dungeon you brought to a head a probe I was conducting. Seeing Reno's condition was the point that it became apparent to me that your Director Veld has gone insane.'  
 

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On his knees on the floor with Reno unconscious in his lap, Tseng felt more helpless than he ever had in his highly eventful life. Even though Reno's blank comatose state had given way to near normal sleep, Tseng was still as close as he ever got to panicking over the damage the redhead could have done to himself. They had been in the same position on the floor for almost four hours now and twice over that time Tseng had applied a Cure materia to Reno's chest in an attempt to slowly heal him. He held the materia tightly in his hand ready to apply it again in another couple of hours if Reno was still out to it.

   
An hour later and Tseng was sure that he knew what pure unadulterated fear felt like. Reno had been dead to the world for over five hours and Tseng didn't dare use the Cure materia again for another hour in case he compromised Reno's natural immune system. Finally losing his almost iron-clad composure Tseng bent over Reno's tousled head and started murmuring quietly but urgently to him in the hopes of breaking through the fog of unconsciousness.

   
'Gaia Reno, you really know how to get my attention do you not? Hah, not that you would know but you don't actually need to do anything except walk past. The moment you first strolled into ShinRa like you owned the place I knew that there was something about you, but I would never have guessed that you would get to me so completely. To be honest Reno, while you can't hear me so it's okay, I never thought I would let anyone matter to me ever...'

   
Tseng trailed off, his deep brown eyes widening as Reno let out a faint groan. The rehead's eyelids fluttered briefly but beyond that he lay still. Nearly approaching frantic Tseng pulled Reno close and continued to whisper non-stop in his ear.

   
'Wǒ de mā hé tā de fēngkuáng de wàishēng dōu, I don't even know what I'm doing here Reno. I kill people for a living, I'm not a psychologist. Right now all I want is for you to hear my voice and open your damn eyes. I don't exactly see why you would want to come back to my voice, but if it works... Dìyù, I would probably slap Rufus across the face if I thought it would bring you back to me… I mean bring you back to us.'

   
'I don't really have friends in the Turks Reno, well if I'm honest I have no friends at all, so no one knows what goes on in my head. Even notorious assassins and legendary hardasses have pasts you know. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in Midgar who knows how beautiful Wutai looks in the dawn light or what it feels like to walk the forests and be one with the ancient trees. Big tough Tseng misses the forests of his home Reno, laugh if you want, but sometimes… Sometimes I think I could live my life without seeing Wutai again so long as I could see you everyday.'

   
As Tseng paused for breath he felt Reno stir slightly in his arms. Suppressing the urge to look down at his charge he just drew in a shaky breath and kept on talking.

   
'I hate seeing you like this Turk, knowing that somehow I triggered all of this. I wish I knew just what I said so that I could apologize and figure out a way to take it back. I've never admitted to this ever, ever before, but you scared me Reno. When you ran and wouldn't let me into the bedroom I nearly went out of my mind... Ah Gaia just don't, please don't do that again...'

   
This time Tseng stopped talking abruptly and snapped his gaze down to Reno. The redhead was breathing normally and his wide aquamarine eyes were fixed on Tseng's face. Holding his breath in case this was an illusion that an exhalation could shatter Tseng stared into the sea-green eyes looking back at him. After what seemed like an eternity the Wutaiin Turk broke the silence.

   
'Are you still feeling sick Reno?' Tseng asked quietly keeping it almost impersonal. 'Is there any blurring in your vision?'

   
The spell between them broken, Reno averted his gaze and shook his head. He stared at the floor for a moment and then tilted his head up again to pin Tseng with a glare. In a hoarse voice he growled at Tseng, 'You think this was your fault?'

   
Without waiting for a reply Reno continued, 'You actually think that you can blame yourself for this yo? I hate to break it to you Tseng but you aren't exactly the cause of all my troubles. I wouldn't've made it out of the hospital if you hadn't... If you weren't...'

   
Trailing off Reno bit his lip hard in an attempt to hold back tears. For so long he had kept himself alive by denying every emotion that rose inside him and now he was broken down so completely he had no strength to keep the storm at bay. Despite all his efforts a hot tear rolled down Reno's cheek and a shudder wracked his thin frame.

   
Shaken by the fact that Reno had heard at least part of his distressed ranting Tseng was struck momentarily speechless. He wrapped his arms gently around Reno's trembling body and just sat there, radiating mute solace, until the shivering stopped and Reno was able to compose himself somewhat. Embarrassed at his loss of control Reno wouldn't look up at Tseng again, but slowly his arms crept around the distraught Turk and they sat holding each other on the bedroom floor.  
 

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Two hours after the start of his talk with Rufus Rude was beginning to feel like he had been hit over the head with a brick. He could hardly take in the fact that Veld had been inflicting brutal torture on his fellow Turks even though he had been on the receiving end of more than one excessive beating. The moment he became convinced of his Director's insanity however was when Rufus produced the medical records and proceeded to read details of three of Reno's stays in hospital that couldn't in any way be attributed to mission related injuries. Bewilderment filled the usually unflappable Turk but was slowly giving way to rage.

   
Rude closed his eyes for a moment to try and calm himself and then when Rufus paused in his account of Veld's atrocities he looked up and spoke. 'Alright Rufus I get what you're telling me. Veld is psychotic, he's using the Turks as a sick playground for his lunacy and this can't continue. I assume that you have a plan to take him down or I wouldn't be hearing any of this, so just tell me what you want me to do.'

   
As he had been talking Rufus had been waiting for Rude to comprehend the full gravity of the situation. When the glowering Turk finally interrupted him Rufus leant forward in his chair and met Rude's dark brown eyes with his steady blue gaze. 'I'm glad you're with me Rude, for I couldn't even begin to move against Veld without the support of my Turks. You will remember that new Turks were recruited before this came to a head, well two of them have already come to me after experiencing 'discipline' with Veld. They rescued Elena much in the way you were aided by Yuffie; Elena was sent on a mission meant to end in her death the same as your mission was meant to end you.'

   
Even the ice-cold Son of Shinra couldn't suppress a shudder at how close two of his Turks had come to death. Recovering quickly he sat back from the screen and laced his fingers in front of him. 'I do indeed have a plan Rude, but I can't enlighten you to the full extent of it yet. For now I need you to stay in Wutai with Yuffie and train a select group of warriors to come back to Midgar when the time is right. I know that you would rather be in the middle of this fight Rude, but I need someone I can trust heading a force that Veld has no idea about. Will you agree to this for me Turk?'

   
Gritting his teeth Rude fought to keep his face expressionless. Ever since Rufus had told him two hours ago that Reno was alive but off the job all he had wanted to do was to storm back to the Eastern Continent and stand like a living shield in front of his friend. Swallowing his bitterness Rude nodded once and let out a long breath. 'I will do this Rufus, but be sure that you send word quickly once the action begins. I don't want to be stuck in the arse-end of nowhere, no offense Yuffie, if there is fighting to be done.'

   
Behind Rude Yuffie grinned and flicked him in the back of the head, while in front of him Rufus let a rare genuine smile flicker briefly across his face. Rufus absentmindedly shuffled the papers in front of him before replying to his faithful Turk. 'I knew you wouldn't fail me Rude and I can assure you that I won't make you wait for long. On another note, I would ask that you keep that vidscreen handy while you put together your fighters because as soon as this conversation ends I will be sending my screen with Tseng so that you can speak with Reno and let him know that you are okay. I would ask however that you keep your location confidential for the time being.'

   
Of all the 'other notes' that Rufus could have added to his orders, the chance to speak to Reno was about the last that Rude could have expected. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of emotions assailing him Rude thanked Gaia for the fact that he wore his sunglasses everywhere as he blinked back tears. Not knowing how to express his gratitude to his boss he just nodded and grunted gruffly. On the screen Rufus bit back a half smile trying not show Rude that his emotions were blatantly obvious on his face, the screen went blank as the Vice-President of ShinRa prepared to set his plans in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Translations mainly sourced from Firefly so don’t shoot me if they’re wrong.  
>  Wǒ de mā hé tā de fēngkuáng de wàishēng dōu - Mother of god and all her crazy nephews.  
> Dìyù - Hell**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Not really any warning for this chapter apart from my excessive swearing. Don't get used to the lack of warnings though... It won't last. Lol that's a warning.**

Rufus was out of his chair the instant his vidscreen went blank. Now that his backup strategy with Rude was set in motion he could proceed with his other, more immediate intrigues. Energized by his talk with the man he considered to be his most stalwart Turk, Rufus quickly made his way through the extensive corridors of ShinRa Corp to the executive suites. Taking a second to marshal his thoughts he then knocked on the door of the room in which he had ordered Elena to stay.

   
Before the tap of his knuckles on the wood even began to die away Rufus found himself face to face with a disheveled and irate looking Elena. Waiting until she silently stepped back out of the doorway Rufus strode into her quarters and sat peremptorily on her couch. When the woman reluctantly joined him and sat across from him in an armchair Rufus finally let a slight smile drift across his face.

   
Leaning forward in his seat Rufus captured Elena's slightly startled gaze with his piercing blue stare and made his opening play; going straight for the jugular he stated, 'You won't be trapped in this room for much longer Elena, you have my word on it. I have told you the details of the problems that face us within the Turks but now I can reveal to you my plans for remedying the situation.'

   
Satisfied that he had Elena's full attention Rufus folded his arms and continued, 'I have just spent the last few hours talking to Rude via vidscreen from his place of refuge and his role in my plans has been laid out to him. For obvious reasons I will not tell you his exact location or how I intend to deploy him but suffice to say he is crucial to taking down Veld, as are you. Now, before I even start Elena I will ask you just once, are you prepared to stand with me against the Director of the Turks and even my father to see this through?'

   
When Elena fixed him with an incredulous stare and snapped 'Yes' without hesitating Rufus nodded briskly. 'I thought as much but I had to be sure. As I did with Rude I offered you a choice in the matter to make this as much your fight as it is mine. And now that I have the formalities out of the way, I have a second question to ask of you Elena. How do you feel about turning into a ghost?'  
 

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Tseng was never sure how long he dozed on the bedroom floor propped against the wall with Reno but it seemed like only minutes before he was woken by the redhead's tormented cries. Feeling his back scream in protest at the unnatural position he had fallen asleep in Tseng tried to straighten into a more comfortable pose but only succeeded in jolting Reno out of his nightmare. It took all of Tseng’s catlike reflexes to snake an arm out and catch the redhead before he hit the ground and he pulled Reno close, murmuring softly in Wutaiin until the haze of sleep and fear in the man’s eyes gave way to exhaustion again.

   
In the next hour Reno woke Tseng twice more with muffled groans and jerking movements and finally the legendary Wutaiin endurance started giving out. Thinking to move Reno onto the more comfortable bed and sleep on the floor beside it Tseng found it impossible to loosen Reno’s hold on his arms when he tried to lay him on the bed. Almost drunk on tiredness and anxiety Tseng was beyond considering the ramifications of his actions and simply positioned himself so that he was sitting behind Reno on the bed holding him in his arms. The last thing he knew was the feeling of Reno’s hand tightly grasping his arm before he slipped into sleep.  
 

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They had planned for Cissnei to provoke an eruption from Veld but Vincent had not been able to bring himself to agree at the time or at all. He watched his friend carefully throughout the day for any sign that the order had been given and decided early in the afternoon that he could not risk Cissnei getting hurt in the implementation of Rufus’ dangerous scheme. Waiting until he was sure that Cissnei was buried in paperwork Vincent took matters into his own hands and put his own version of the plan into action. He sent a message to Rufus to deploy Elena as soon as possible and set out to do a very dangerous thing; he was going to light the fuse on the bomb that was Veld.

   
Vincent knew that pretty much anything would set off the volatile Director of the Turks but he also didn’t want to merely trigger a verbal dressing-down. Stopping briefly at the staff kitchen Vincent made a large cup of black coffee and quickly strode towards the Director’s office before the hot drink could cool. As Vincent came down the corridor he saw Veld castigating a junior agent and melted into the shadows. When the young Turk scurried away and Veld turned to go back into his office Vincent walked swiftly forward and pretended to stumble when he reached the Director, throwing the scalding liquid down the man’s front.

   
He thought he had braced himself for the consequences of his deliberate act but Vincent was unprepared for the immediate roundhouse blow that hit him in the back of the head and knocked him to his knees. Before he could recover his equilibrium Vincent found his arms pinned behind his back as he was unceremoniously dragged off to the basement. The recent recruit had just enough time to remember his mission and force himself to remain limp before he was thrown sprawling on the concrete floor of the underground room.

   
The punishment seemed to continue forever but in reality it was only a few minutes. Vincent lay passively on the ground while he was kicked and battered, moving only to shield his head from Veld’s assault, he had wanted to goad Veld into a disciplinary episode but he had been unaware of the escalation of violence in the Director’s actions. The dark haired Turk let out a hiss of pain when a particularly vicious kick caught him in the ribs and he sent a small plea to Gaia for Elena’s prompt arrival. He also held onto a grim relief that Cissnei was not in his place.  
 

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Sitting on her bed in the lush ShinRa apartment Elena glowered at the wall. It had been past midday the previous day by the time Rufus unveiled to her the full extent of his devious plan and the woman was chafing at the bit to take on the role of vengeful phantom. Elena knew that it would take at least another day for Rufus to engineer the setting for her ghostly debut but she hated sitting in her luxurious room while the Turks were living in perpetual fear of their Director. Heaving a pillow at the wall she went to flop back onto the bed but bounced upright at the sound of a knock on her door.

   
Throwing open the door Elena was startled to see Rufus standing in front of her with a grim look on his face. Without waiting for her to even say a word the Son of Shinra strode inside leaving the door wide open. Attempting to gain control of himself Rufus turned to Elena and took a deep breath. ‘There has been a change in plans Elena, things are moving apace. I had intended for Cissnei to provoke a disciplinary session late tomorrow so we could send you in, in full costume but bloody Vincent…’ Rufus took a moment to calm himself, ‘Vincent decided that he should be the one to incur Veld’s wrath and he is right now being dragged into the basement. It is time for the ghost to appear Elena, are you ready?’

   
Before Rufus had even finished Elena was nodding her head. A humourless and anticipatory smile spread across the woman’s face and she said, ‘Get me there sir, in costume, and I promise you that Director Veld will not know what hit him. I’ll put the fear of the dead into that sadistic fuck if I have to haunt him all the way from Mideel to the Northern Crater.’

   
Permitting himself a small hard smirk at his Turk’s determination Rufus walked to the door and beckoned to a pair of maids who were hovering nervously in the hallway. ‘I presumed to predict your answer Elena so I brought along the artists who will transform you into the vengeful ghost of murder most foul. Sit on the bed and follow their instructions and we will turn you into a spectre so fearful that Veld won’t be able to sleep without a nightlight.’

   
Still wearing a faint remnant of her smile Elena sat on the bed and kept still as the maids whirled around her with diaphanous fabrics and various face-paints. She could feel the build-up of paint on her face and kept catching glimpses of the costume garbing her but it still was no preparation for the moment when Rufus pulled her to her feet and held up a long mirror. Where once there was a stern and well groomed woman there now stood a vision from a nightmare. Blonde hair floated around her face seeming to defy gravity. Her face was a dead, pallid white with dark smudging around the eyes and a gruesomely detailed bullet wound adorning her temple. Elena let the inner ghoul in her admire the appearance of pulverized flesh at the fictional point of bullet entry and when she smiled a drop of fake blood rolled from the corner of her mouth.

   
Elena was jerked out of her appraisal of her own appearance by the strange sound of Rufus trying to suppress a very uncharacteristic chuckle. The chuckle turned into full throated laughter and Rufus had to sit next to Elena on the bed to recover his composure as he said, ‘Forgive me Elena, I found myself imagining the look on the Director’s face when he lays eyes on you. I wish I had the time to work a camera into your costume somehow because I have a feeling we would enjoy having this escapade for Reno and Rude to view when this is all over.’

   
Seeing the dark humour in the situation Elena also relaxed a little and grinned at the usually aloof Vice President of ShinRa Corp. She was pleasantly surprised to find that she rather liked the person under the arrogant and unapproachable façade the man usually erected. ‘Trust me sir, by the time this is done you won’t be able to forget the sweet sound of Veld’s screams. I don’t take pleasure in someone else’s pain as a rule, it’s usually just business, but I feel that in this case some rules can probably be suspended.’

   
Rufus further surprised Elena by letting out an unrestrained guffaw and grabbing her hand to pull her up from the bed. Adjusting her elaborate costume Rufus laughed again and ushered her out of the room. ‘If we can pull this off as intended Elena I will personally commission a team of actors to recreate our triumph. And I will also authorize you for two weeks paid leave to the hot springs of Mideel; Gaia knows you will have earned it.’  
 

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It was three hours after Tseng moved him to the bed that Reno slowly swam back to consciousness. He was warm and comfortable and the nausea that haunted him even in sleep seemed to be gone; Reno sighed, concluding he must still be dreaming. The arms that enfolded him had to be fantasy and the warm body that supported him couldn’t possibly be real. As he gradually emerged from the world of sleep Reno bewilderedly acknowledged that he seemed to be on the bed and unbelievably in Tseng’s arms.

   
Then the real world slammed back into place around him and a wave of queasiness rolled over him. Reno retched uncontrollably and hurled himself off of the bed, stumbling to the bathroom and barely making it to the toilet before noisily throwing up everything he had ever eaten. He was so engrossed in the violence of his up-chuck that he barely noticed Tseng’s cool hands pulling his hair back and resting soothingly on the back of his neck.

   
As the gagging and heaving receded Reno was finally able to become aware of the slender, chill fingers pressed firmly against his wrist and he realized that Tseng was hunched over next to him making sure that his pulse was regular and strong. However, before he could lift his head and summon the powers of speech, Reno felt his gorge rise again and he vomited copiously until there was nothing to bring up but bile.  
 

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Elena made her way through the winding corridors of ShinRa Corp as fast as she could but was slowed by the trailing fabrics swathed around her and the tendrils of hair that obscured her vision. Even moving as quickly as possible it took Elena much longer than she would have liked to navigate the sprawling hallways and she was panting by the time she skidded to a halt in front of the basement door. Elena stopped for a moment to compose herself and make sure that her ghostly white makeup wasn’t sliding down her face and then she braced herself to shove open the thick wooden door.

   
The tremendous crash of the door hitting the wall startled Veld enough that he staggered back from Vincent’s battered body. Not giving the sadistic Director time to recover Elena drifted forward into the doorway taking full advantage of her ethereal hair and clothing, and with a suitably vengeful look on her face she glared at the unnerved Veld. Repressing a grin as Veld stumbled backwards into the wall Elena did her best to give the impression of floating and moved into the room.

   
In the face of what appeared to be the bitter and dangerous ghost of someone he had sent to her death Veld became completely unglued. Cringing back into the corner of the basement he started to jibber under his breath about the demands placed on Turk leaders and how the end always justifies the means. Finding it difficult to contain her contempt and anger Elena took another step forward and blinked hard to activate the temporary contacts she was wearing.

   
The ‘ghost’ floating in the door of the basement took on a terrifying aspect as its eyes began to glow with an unholy light. Veld cowered speechlessly in the corner as the spectre glared down at him and the man shuddered at the murderous look in her fiery eyes. Elena used every advantage his fear gave her and languidly raised a hand to point condemningly at her former boss. The woman accurately judged the moment that Veld’s fear reached its peak and was already stepping back out of the door as Veld surged up out of the corner. Thanking her lucky stars that Rufus had planned this down to the minutiae Elena took one more step back and vanished.

   
Hustled behind the door Elena listened to Veld stumbling out into the hallway and then roaring off along the dim hallway towards the office levels. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Rufus, still covered in the magical black sheet of vanishing, until they were both sure that Veld was really gone and once the corridor was quiet again they rushed into the basement. Elena stood back, unwilling to contaminate Vincent’s wounds with her powdery makeup and she watched as Rufus knelt next to the man to check his vital signs.

   
Once they were certain that Vincent had nothing broken, Elena and Rufus lifted him between them and hurried him off as fast as they could in the opposite direction to where Veld had disappeared. Unable to contain himself Rufus started to chuckle quietly which set off Elena who was soon trying to choke back laughter. Despite the fact that they now had to get Vincent to a healer quickly and Elena had to get out of the public halls before the ruse was totally blown neither Elena nor Rufus could forget the look on Veld’s face that had betrayed his moment of utter pants-wetting terror.  
 

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Reno awoke to the soft sound of birds celebrating sometime around midday, a strange contrast to the feeling of cold porcelain against his cheek and the impression that his spine was trying to make a painful break for freedom. As the world came into focus around him Reno became aware of warm arms propping him up against the toilet bowl and he cringed inwardly at the realization that Tseng had spent the night literally holding his hair back. In the interval before Tseng joined him in the land of the waking Reno took the opportunity to force his mind to work without distraction. As his thoughts began to move however his brain was thoroughly hijacked.

   
‘Hello slumrat,’ whispered a familiar voice in his mind. ‘Boy, you’ve really been milking his sympathy haven’t you? Too thick to finish the job of killing yourself and now you’re spreading the pain as if you enjoy seeing everyone miserable like you. You can’t even die right you unparalleled fuckwit, you’re making yourself look fucking weak. Do you like eviscerating the people you care about yo?’

   
Reno closed his eyes and gritted his teeth vainly attempting to block out the voice of Evil Reno and his vicious words, but he never had been able to banish the voice before it chose to fall silent of its own accord. ‘A worthless piece of shit like you simply shouldn’t be impacting on anyone else’s life Reno, you know that right? You need to stop parading around like you’re worthy of attention and shut the fuck up until you find yourself free to finish the job properly. Look yo, you know how to put on the mask so fucking do it and have the consideration to do it quietly. No one wants to hear about your shit.’

   
Even though Reno’s eyes were squeezed tightly shut a single tear managed to escape and run down his cheek. As always he had no argument for Evil Reno and in this case he found himself agreeing with every poisonous word. Behind him Reno felt Tseng start to stir and in the instant before the other man woke Reno swore to himself that he would keep the hell in his head locked up tight and that he would unwaveringly present a mask of strength and normalcy to the people who for some reason gave a shit. If anyone had been looking they would have seen an expression of heart-breaking agony disappear as if it had been wiped away, to be replaced with a look of calm stoicism to rival Tseng’s own.

   
Carefully so as not to jostle the sleeping Tseng, Reno eased back from the toilet and turned so that he was now the one holding his lightly snoring boss in a seated position. The peaceful expression on Tseng’s face made the Wutaiin Turk seem much younger and that alone already threatened to break Reno’s fragile façade. With a supreme effort of will Reno averted his gaze and softly shook Tseng’s shoulder to wake him. It took longer than usual to pull Tseng from the arms of sleep and every second it took, Reno felt guiltier for being the cause of Tseng’s exhaustion.

   
Finally Tseng’s brown eyes flew open, his training allowing him to go from dead sleep to kill-ready in a split second. Even though Reno had seen it before he still could help but start slightly at Tseng switching suddenly from sleep to looking at him and waiting for him to say something. Reno licked his dry lips and whispered, ‘I’d take a shot from my own EMR for a coffee yo.’

   
Slowly, taking time for horrendously cricked necks and backs to stop twinging, Reno followed Tseng downstairs. Every few steps Tseng would turn around to make sure that Reno was still on his feet but Reno was surprised at how good he felt, that is until he passed the bedroom and saw all of the used Cure materia strewn on the floor. Keeping his face expressionless but swearing silently Reno tried to calculate the cost of the medicine that Tseng had used to keep him alive and a quiet groan escaped when he arrived at a total. Slouching into a chair by the kitchen table Reno made himself another promise; that he would never again cost his friends any more than he was worth – nothing.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Sorry Glitch and any other readers who were surprised to have another fic's Chapter Eight posted here. In apology here is the correct Chapter Eight.**

Despite his blurry eyes and feeling like he had been run over by a truck Tseng snapped almost straight into consciousness when Reno shook his arm. With the siren’s call of coffee to urge him on Tseng staggered downstairs to the lounge, heroically refraining from growling at Reno for looking chirpier than him thanks to the massive dose of Cure applied the night before. Successfully arriving at the kitchen despite the odds Tseng displayed a talent that not many people knew he had and brewed two absolutely perfect mugs of Costa del Sol coffee.

   
Silence reigned over the kitchen for a brief period as Reno started to inhale his coffee like a man dying of caffeine withdrawal and while he was distracted Tseng took the opportunity to subtly study the redhead. From what Tseng could observe Reno seemed to have turned one massive emotional corner in the night, appearing much calmer and more collected in contrast to the combination of unmitigated hopelessness and despair he had displayed before.

   
The silence continued until Tseng’s phone screeched into the stillness causing Reno’s coffee to go everywhere and startling a curse out of the usually unflappable Tseng. Picking up the call with a feeling of trepidation and stepping out of the kitchen Tseng heard the voice of Rufus Shinra on the other end of the line. Attempting to smarten up his ideas Tseng shook his head sharply and snapped out, ‘Yes sir? Is everything okay? Do you need me at ShinRa?’

   
Listening for a long moment Tseng relaxed slightly but at Rufus’ next words his eyes flew wide open and he blurted, ‘What!? I mean sorry sir… I’ll be there as soon as I can. Reno will appreciate this so much sir, Gaia knows, it might help in pulling him back from the edge…’ Even as the words escaped his mouth Tseng was already closing his eyes and wanting to rip out his loose tongue. Rufus of course didn’t miss the reference and rapped out an order for more information.

   
Tseng took a second to damn himself as several types of fuckwit and stepped further down the hall so he was definitely out of Reno’s earshot. Not bothering to stall Tseng started speaking in a clinically expressionless tone, ‘There was an episode last night after you called sir. Reno overheard about the new recruits and lost it. He tried to leave the house and when I stopped him he locked himself in the bedroom and overdosed on the medication prescribed to him for sleep. I used three Cures and I still thought he wouldn’t…’ Even with his Wutaiin stoicism Tseng was unable to stifle a tiny choking noise of distress.

   
Gritting his teeth at his lapse in control Tseng fell silent as he listened to Rufus’ clipped response. Without a goodbye or any such niceties he hung up and walked slowly back into the kitchen where Reno was sitting and staring at his half-drunk coffee. Sitting down again so he could talk to Reno on an equal footing Tseng said curtly, ‘Rufus will be here shortly Reno, he has decided that we need to start acting instead of reacting. I, uh, he knows about last night. There’s nothing we can do about the Veld situation if we keep secrets from each other. I… I need to know that you understand…That you understand that I couldn’t hide it…’  
 

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When Tseng ducked out to answer the call Reno watched the man until he disappeared from sight and then his mask shattered around him. The pain on his face would have caused any hardened killer to flinch but as a tear gathered at the corner of one blue-green eye it was as if a shutter had been pulled across his features, clearing his face of any expression at all. Stretching his senses to the limit Reno cut off his emotions and put his entire self into trying to hear what Tseng didn’t want to be heard.

   
Snippets of the conversation in the hallway filtered into Reno’s consciousness and a small part of him mused that it was lucky his emotions were tucked away in his head. ‘Reno will appreciate this… The episode last night…Locked himself in… Overdosed…’ At this point Reno stopped listening and emotionlessly tried to prepare himself for whatever scene might explode into horrible reality when Tseng re-joined him in the kitchen.

   
Clasping his hands tight enough around his coffee cup to turn his knuckles white Reno stared into the steaming depths of his drink and listened intently to the sound of Tseng trudging back into the room. Trying to buy himself some time to get his emotions totally under control Reno stayed outwardly stoic but cringed inside at the sharp tone of Tseng’s words. One sentence echoed in his head and Reno closed his eyes, hearing over and over again, ‘Rufus will be here shortly.’

   
A virulent curse itched to break free of Reno’s lips but he held it together and instead of swearing he said quietly, ‘I get why you had to tell him yo, he’s the big bossman an’ all. You’re good at your job and I can’t picture you flipping burgers which is what would happen if you tried to hide something from Rufus ‘Scary’ Shinra right?’

   
Loud enough to echo off the walls of the small kitchen Reno’s stomach let out a ferocious growl and he forced a wry smile. ‘Hey yo Bossman, would you mind if I cooked us some fuckin’ eggs? I think my stomach is about to eat itself if I don’t get some breakfast. I have to warn you though, the fabulous Sinclair Scrambled Eggs will ruin you for any other breakfast ever again yo.’

   
Avoiding the penetrating stare that Tseng shot his way Reno shoved himself to his feet and pulled off a convincing sashay over to the kitchenette. While he rustled around finding everything he needed to create his culinary masterpiece Reno looked over his shoulder and said as steadily as possible, ‘You can stop staring yo, I’m not about to grow an extra head. The head I have seems to be in a crapload of a better headspace than it was ‘kay? Dammit yo, stop boring a hole in my back alright Bossman?’

   
A delicately nuanced snort behind him told Reno that Tseng had averted his eyes but still needed to be persuaded that his Turk was anywhere near better. Safely turned away from prying eyes, a grim smile flitted across Reno’s face to be just as swiftly replaced by a carefully crafted expression of thoughtful placidity. The consummate actor anyway, Reno threw himself into the role of healing survivor and the secondary part of chef extraordinaire, whipping up a heavenly meal of scrambled eggs that he placed in front of Tseng with a flourish.

   
Breakfast was eaten in relative silence broken only by Tseng’s murmur of muted but pleasantly surprised appreciation and just as the two Turks were finishing their meal a crisp knock on the door drained away the small amount of ease that had accumulated. Wordlessly Reno got up and took the plates to the sink, trying to breathe calm through his body and Tseng walked quickly to the door so as not to keep Rufus waiting. Without waiting to be invited in the vice-president of ShinRa strode inside and sat authoritatively at the table with his hands clasped in front of him.  
 

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When he walked into the safe-house Rufus swept his gaze across his Turks in a visual interrogation as he moved over to the table and sat down. Though he would never show it in his expression Rufus was actually shocked by the pallid exhaustion showing in Tseng’s face and the air of fragility surrounding the usually irrepressible Reno. Back straight and eyes stern Rufus seated himself at the kitchen table and waited for Reno and Tseng to join him.

   
Tseng sat first, exerting what seemed to Rufus to be a large amount of effort to appear his usual stoic self. Rufus added this to his growing mental file on the high ranking Turk and permitted himself a small inward grin at what this indicated. Then Reno wandered over in a pale imitation of his customary slouch and Rufus narrowed his eyes at how brittle and forced the redhead’s manner appeared. Rufus could see that Reno was projecting one hell of a front, but he was positive that his happy-go-lucky Turk was anything but what he appeared.

   
Doing his usual trick of letting an uncomfortable silence elapse Rufus finally shifted and broke the tension, running a slender hand through his messy blonde hair. He knew that the following conversation wasn’t going to be fun but as always he met the challenge head on. ‘Reno, you will know that Tseng has told me about what occurred last night. Not to sound like a mother hen but it worries me that you are this unstable. I will admit that I am currently at a small loss as to what to do with you, I would be interested to hear what you have to say about all of this.’

   
Rufus raised an eyebrow when Reno didn’t miss a beat and replied without hesitation, ‘Last night will not happen again sir. There were… The circumstances were unique yo. I had just found out that new Turks had been recruited under that fucking psycho and then, um, something happened to trigger one fuck of a flashback. Kinda like a perfect storm ya know?’

   
Tseng flinched minutely at the mention of ‘something’ triggering Reno’s flashback and Rufus snapped a sharp glance his way. When he looked back at Reno though, the redhead had an all too familiar stubborn look on his face and started talking again before Rufus could open his mouth. ‘I have a request Rufus, this is important yo. I want to go back to work. Sitting here doing nothing while Veld treats the Turks like his own psycho delicatessen will drive me totally fucking batshit yo.’

   
It wasn’t often that Rufus was caught by surprise but Reno had managed it and then Tseng also startled him. The second Reno finished speaking Tseng cut in with a harsh snarl, ‘Over my cold dead corpse Reno, there is no way I’m letting you anywhere near Veld!’ Reno cringed back at Tseng’s tone but then coughed out a curse when Tseng grabbed him by the arm and ignoring Rufus completely yanked him into the hall. Once they were out of earshot of the kitchen Tseng turned furious brown eyes on Reno.  
 

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It had taken all of Reno’s strength to keep his mask in place to make his request of Rufus and he had almost forgotten that Tseng was in the room such was the intensity he was focusing on the son of Shinra. When Tseng had snapped across the table at him Reno had unconsciously flinched away but then when his boss had grabbed him and bodily dragged him from the room anger had ignited abruptly in the redhead’s heart. Tseng had stopped about halfway down the hall and at that moment Reno shoved him into the wall with all his strength.

   
What had been meant to be a furious glare from Tseng turned to a look of shock as his back hit the wall and he could only gape wordlessly as Reno went off like a bomb. ‘You ever touch me like that again Tseng and I swear I’ll rip your fucking hand off yo! I always thought you were reasonable, intelligent too yo, but you fucking know why I lost it last night and you fucking did it again! You might be the Bossman, Bossman but you don’t get to fucking touch me, got it?’

   
Staring at Tseng with rage burning in his eyes Reno waited tautly for the shit to hit the fan. Even as submerged in anger as he was, Reno was aware that he quite probably had just crossed the line and now he waited for the roaring fury to destroy his world. Tseng’s response however so wrong-footed Reno that he swayed on the spot and nearly keeled over.

   
Words so quiet they were almost a whisper fell from Tseng’s lips, ‘I apologize Reno. There is no excuse for the way I acted. The reason, not the excuse, is that… The thought of him near you is unacceptable. You cannot go back if there is any chance at all that he can hurt you again… Yúbèn de… I can’t let you… Fuck Reno, I can’t protect you if you go back there!’

   
Tseng’s quiet apology had drained some of Reno’s ire but the frantic words that followed sent him shooting to the heights of pure fury and then just as suddenly into the strange seas of bewilderment. Mind stressed almost beyond its limits Reno went to abruptly turn away but had to choke back a scream when Tseng desperately grabbed his shoulder, spinning him back around and pushing him against the wall. Whatever Tseng had been able to say was lost at the expression of terror in Reno’s blue-green eyes.

   
In a trembling voice, so quiet as to be on the very edge of hearing, Reno whispered, ‘Let me go Tseng, please don’t…’

   
As if he had been burned Tseng jerked his hand away and half turned to hide his expression from Reno. Summoning every last scrap of self-control and strength that he could Reno pushed himself away from the wall and stood up straight. Not looking at Tseng he said, ‘I will be going back to ShinRa yo. I can’t sit on the side-lines of whatever Rufus has planned. And Tseng? Don’t doubt me for a second on this, if you touch me that way again I am fucking gone.’ Leaving Tseng staring after him Reno strode back into the kitchen to sit across from Rufus who was sitting calmly waiting, with a briefcase placed precisely on the table in front of him.  
 

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Rude had been like a caged animal waiting for the call that Rufus had promised from Reno. As the morning dragged on into the afternoon he became more and more tense and even put a dent in an innocent tree when Yuffie didn’t take the hint that leaving him alone was probably a good idea. Now, alone in the frilly, overly feminine tent, Rude was glaring at the vidscreen as if it had stabbed his mother. When the device did finally start beeping to signal an incoming call Rude almost knocked it off the table in his haste to answer.

   
Silently Rude thanked Gaia for his tinted shades as the image of Reno hunched over the other vidscreen slowly brightened. Although he was known to be impassive to a fault Rude couldn’t stop his eyes from widening at the haggard and totally un-Reno-like Reno looking back at him. Lost for words for a long moment Rude tried to pull himself back together and offered a strained grin, saying as lightly as he could manage, ‘Fucking hellfire Reno, I leave you alone for a few days and look atcha. You should comb your hair prettyboy, you’re starting to look like a used tampon. Yo.’

   
Caustic humour had always been his easy out with Reno but the silence following his opening words made his heart sink. It was only when Reno burst out with his first genuine laughter in days that Rude took a breath and let out a low chuckle of his own. Sounding more like himself than he had in ages Reno grinned back, ‘I missed seeing your ugly mug, Rude old buddy. Without it there I thought I’d gone to heaven yo. Where the hell are you anyway?’

   
With the tension slightly easing Rude noticed for the first time that standing behind Reno were Rufus and a grim looking Tseng. He wasn’t sure how he was meant to answer Reno’s question but his short mental struggle was cut off when Rufus moved forward and sat down next to the redhead. Tseng remained motionless behind the two men but Rufus ignored this and met Rude’s eyes through the vidscreen. A jolt of nervousness shot through Rude as he had never seen such an intense expression on Rufus’ usually blank face.

   
Smoothly, as if he were ordering a coffee, Rufus said in an even tone, ‘I’m glad that we four are speaking together, despite the adverse events that brought us to our respective locations. To ensure we are all on the same page, Rude, I will need you to briefly tell Reno and Tseng where you are and how you got there. Then, if he wants, Reno can share his recent developments and I will follow by giving you the overall picture of what we must do from here. There is much to discuss and I would have preferred a more propitious time and place but things are moving faster than I anticipated.’

   
Staring suspiciously at Rufus for a moment and mentally shelving any questions he had about Reno’s ‘recent developments’ Rude nodded jerkily. Collecting his thoughts he said, ‘Reno, Tseng, you might not know that on ‘that night’ I was dispatched on a mission to Wutai. From the start it seemed like a bullshit objective and I quickly found out that it was more like a Gaia-damned suicide mission. I was targeted personally by the forces of a warlord and there was one point that I would have died had Rufus not sent a fucking ninja princess to save my ass and take me to this stronghold of their resistance. Please don’t freak out Reno, but it was Veld that sent me to die, knowing that I was the one who found you.’

   
Aware that he had dropped a metaphorical bomb on his partner Rude watched Reno’s face carefully. What he saw bewildered him for Reno simply narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded once, all with no expression on his face whatsoever. Mind racing wildly, Rude noticed that he was not the only one perturbed by Reno’s demeanour as Tseng looked like he had just sunk his teeth through his own lip. The confused Turk’s attention was pulled back to Reno though when the redhead awkwardly pulled himself up straighter on his chair and cleared his throat.

   
Rude listened to Reno’s account of the last few days silently, committing brutal murder behind his eyes at the thought of what Veld had to answer for. When his partner emotionlessly recounted the shitstorm that has been the previous night though Rude lost it and spat out a curse so obscene that even Reno blinked in surprise. Unable to listen to any more Rude snarled abruptly, ‘When can we put your fucking plan into effect Rufus, this shit cannot go on any longer. And you Reno, do something like that again and I’ll resurrect you just so I can rip you a new one!’

   
At last Rude’s uncharacteristic explosion seemed to have gotten through and a spasm of guilt was visible in Reno’s eyes before he nodded and looked down at the table. Rude’s eyes were drawn by a twitch from Tseng who had a strange expression on his face but Rufus spoke again and all eyes were once again on the young vice-president. ‘To answer your question Rude there has already been movement in the plan. I will however need to enlighten Reno and Tseng on precisely what we’re doing before I go into that.’

   
Grimly nodding, Rude watched as his boss turned to face the two Turks in the kitchen. He listened to Rufus reveal the plan to recruit a fighting force from the Wutai resistance with Rude as a rallying point and then his stomach tightened and he carefully watched Reno’s reaction as Rufus went on to talk about the devious ghost scheme involving Elena and Vincent. It made Rude’s chest hurt to see Reno trying to hide the worry and fear that washed over his face and at the moment he would have given anything to be back in Midgar, standing like a human shield between his partner and the whole damn world.  
 

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Rude’s reaction to what he had done cut Reno deeply and he couldn’t hide the flash of guilt that burnt red on his face before he looked down. Rufus’ spiel about Rude’s whereabouts passed over Reno’s head for the most part but his ears cut in again when he heard the names of the two new Turks. Again making a mockery of his carefully constructed mask Reno’s emotions broke free and upon hearing what had happened earlier with Elena and Vincent he had to rest his elbows on his knees and hang his head to hide his devastation.

   
Choosing his moment well Evil Reno piped up maliciously in Reno’s head, ‘Well well, more people put in the firing line for your worthless ass yo, what a fucking surprise. I knew that you were capable of fucking up your own life, but look! Lives totally screwed all over the place and it’s all thanks to you yo! You haven’t even met those two new Turks and you’re managing to royally fuck them up too. I wonder how badly that guy Vincent was injured because you fucking suck. Why couldn’t you just have the decency to die on the first attempt?’

   
Keeping up with Rufus and Rude’s conversation while trying to block out his vicious inner voice took all of Reno’s concentration and he had no energy to spare for peripheral issues; such as Tseng. While Reno determinedly argued his case with his sceptical big bossman Tseng stood back and literally bit his tongue, with great effort keeping the hell out of the argument. Just the thought of Reno being in the vicinity of the increasingly unstable Veld chilled Tseng to the bone but his conversation with the redhead had brought home the unwelcome fact that even though he was bossman he had no say in this.

   
Rude, from the distant tent at Shadowtree, also felt his gorge rise at the thought of Reno returning to ShinRa but he admitted to himself almost straight away that his opinion had no bearing whatsoever on the situation. Slowly the big man eased himself out of the dialogue and simply watched the scene unfolding through the vidscreen. From his removed perspective Rude was able to see the barely concealed desperation in Reno’s face and he gritted his teeth in an effort to stay silent.

   
Though he was verbally jousting with Reno about returning to ShinRa Rufus’ mind was elsewhere, still trying to assimilate the redheaded Turk’s strange request into his plans. The quick mind of the son of Shinra soon had the beginnings of a scheme and a tiny smile quirked the corners of his mouth before he leaned forward and the discussion began in earnest. Rufus was fully aware of the disapproval radiating in waves off of Tseng but his pragmatic nature told him that he couldn’t rank the emotions of one person over the wellbeing and lives of all of his Turks.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Warning for talk about rape.  
>  Also, translation: Qīngwā cāo de liúmáng – Frog humping son of a bitch.  
> Most Wutaiin translations borrowed from Firefly.**

The halls of ShinRa were silent as had become the norm in the days of Veld the psycho but there was a barely noticeable hum in the air. Fleeting whispers, started secretly by Vincent, circulated that Veld had snapped and was seeing things and that the Director of the Turks was losing his mind. Nothing was said but it was noticed by all that Veld went straight to his office in the morning and that his door remained shut and locked even if someone got up the courage to knock. It was lunchtime when Vincent saw Veld finally emerge and the dark haired man smirked to see his Director looking dishevelled and more than a little unhinged.

   
Under the pretext of calling for a restock of medical supplies Vincent called Rufus and appraised his real boss of the developments in their plan. In return he was told in guarded and coded terms of what was happening with the Turk Reno, who he had heard about but never met. Vincent acknowledged the message, that he was to be Rufus’ eyes in the Turks and that he was also to do what he could to keep Veld away from the Weapons Department. Both Rufus and Vincent knew that Veld had as little to with Weapons as possible but neither of them wanted a chance encounter.  
 

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Reno stood in front of Scarlet trying his best to appear both nonchalant and unafraid. Her chilly blue eyes seemed to see straight through his façade but thankfully she just snorted and turned away gesturing abruptly for him to follow. Swaggering to cover the slight shaking of his legs Reno half listened to Scarlet drone on about his role in the Materia Lab but most of his mind was taken up with thanking Gaia for Rufus. He honestly hadn’t thought that Rufus would take his request seriously and now he was back at ShinRa he was pathetically grateful for whatever story Rufus had spun for Scarlet to take him in.

   
Snapping back to the present Reno caught enough of Scarlet’s spiel to understand what he would be doing and he nodded curtly. Reno was slightly taken aback when, as soon as his chin dipped in acknowledgement, Scarlet spun on her heel and stalked away to whatever critical project his appearance had dragged her away from. In the silence left in Scarlet’s wake Evil Reno began to whisper in Reno’s thoughts but he blessedly fell silent as Reno engrossed himself in his new project.  
 

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Tseng was also back at work for the first time in days but he was much less pleased about it than Reno was. His desk was across the building from Veld’s office so he never so much as laid eyes upon the Director of the Turks and the pile of paperwork on his desk kept his hands occupied if not his mind. He was on the edge of swearing under his breath, an unusual event in public, when he decided it was time for a substandard coffee and not two minutes later he found himself face to face with Vincent in the kitchen. When the pale man beckoned subtly Tseng didn’t hesitate and with coffee in hand he followed Vincent up to the rooftop.

   
Seconds passed silently as Tseng stared into Vincent’s rust-red eyes, trying to evaluate just what sort of man stood beside him for what promised to be a vicious fight. Though this was his first meeting with the new Turk Tseng only took an instant to judge Vincent as a dedicated and firm ally and he nodded sharply in approval. Vincent took this as his cue to start talking and as Vincent’s perspective on what they now called ‘the haunting’ washed over him Tseng smiled inwardly and mused that they might just have a chance after all.

   
Vincent took Tseng step by step through his beating and the appearance of Elena’s ghost and when he got to the part where Veld broke and ran he stopped, unnerved by the sheer savagery in the smile that twisted across Tseng’s face. Tseng just couldn’t supress the snarling grin and he dropped his stoic mask completely to let out a slightly demonic sounding chuckle. Seeing Vincent’s eyes widen comically made Tseng laugh even more and soon the two men were helpless with laughter, releasing their tension in uncontrollable side-splitting guffaws.

   
Tseng finally calmed down enough to breathe properly and he waited while Vincent wiped away hysterical tears. Moving closer when the pale man beckoned Tseng listened carefully to Vincent as he outlined what he termed ‘further fuckery from the mind of Shinra’ and by the time Vincent had finished Tseng was itching to get started. An idea hit Tseng suddenly and he stopped Vincent before he could open the door that led back inside.

   
A grim smile quirked the corner of Tseng’s lips and he said, ‘I believe that we should call Rufus and have ourselves a serious talk. This brief update was enough to appraise me of the progress of the plan to date, but in order for each one of us to offer our expertise to facilitating Veld’s downfall we need to cut out the Wutaiin Whispers. If Rufus can smuggle us up to wherever he has stashed Elena I think we could hatch something truly diabolical.’  
 

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Reno’s day had consisted of mind-bogglingly complicated equations pertaining to the effects of certain materia on experimental weaponry. Those who worked with him in the Turks would have been shocked to find out that Reno had a natural talent for mathematics and they would have been downright stunned to witness the innovative approach he was taking to his new work. For the time being though, Reno was glaring at a collection of five different volatile materia combinations, stalled where he was and having to wait for his experiments to complete themselves.

   
The waiting was causing the redhead a couple of problems, the largest of which was that the lack of preoccupation gave him time to think which led directly to the triumphant return of Evil Reno. Although he knew that the materia combinations needed at least thirty more minutes before he could study the results Reno glared harder at the hapless samples and tried to ignore the insidious whisper inside his brain.

   
Gleefully Evil Reno murmured, ‘Back to work huh fuckface? Are you trying to see how many departments you can fuck up before they give up and let Veld kill you? You entertain me yo, it’s like watching a mentally subnormal duck trying to ice-skate… Completely pointless but funny as all fuck. I wonder what that Scarlet bitch will do to you when you screw up her precious weapons…’

   
Reno grimaced and shook his head weakly but the voice continued relentlessly, ‘You know what yo, this lab isn’t all that far away from the Turks’ building. Do you reckon they put you in here hoping that Veld might just turn up and do them all a favour? Tseng might have even suggested it, Gaia knows you’re worse than a fucking anvil around his neck… Hey! Weapons! They could have put you here hoping against hope that you’d off yourself properly yo! There’d be no saving your worthless ass if you used one of Scarlet’s shiny guns…’

   
A lump in Reno’s throat made it difficult to breathe and though he tried desperately to think about something else he couldn’t block out Evil Reno’s words. The barb about being a burden on Tseng felt like a stab to the gut and Reno’s eyes were just starting to reluctantly drift towards the weapons rack when a strange chiming sound came from the direction of his materia samples. Reno snapped his gaze over to the five materia experiments and his mouth dropped open at what he saw.

   
Four of the experiments were inert and useless but the fifth was emitting a low bell-like noise and shining with a soft white light. Shoving himself up out of his chair Reno stumbled over and was stunned to see that the combination of materia had fused together and seemed to be morphing into something new. Staring at this astounding discovery his mind racing with possibilities Reno didn’t hesitate a second when Evil Reno started up again, he shook his head and thought absently ‘Shut up’, barely even aware that his inner bastard fell instantly silent.

   
By the time he finally staggered out of the back entrance to the Weapons Building Reno was ready to drop. He had gotten so focused on detailing the results of his unexpected success with the materia that he had lost track of time, consequently not leaving the building until the sun was starting to set. As the weary Turk stepped out of the door he was immediately swept away by a pair of filthy street sweepers and even though he had been briefed about Rufus’ security measures he had to control his ingrained impulse to drop the two men where they stood.

   
The journey home was made by way of the sewers which were pretty familiar to Reno and he kept up with the breathless pace set by his escorts despite the tiredness gnawing on his bones. When the door finally closed behind Reno it was all he could do to stay on his feet and though some part of his brain registered the fact that Tseng didn’t seem to be there he left that thought for another day and stumbled to his bedroom before falling face first on the bed. Clothes on and not even able to burrow under the covers Reno was out in seconds when sleep hit like a runaway chocobo.  
 

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At roughly the same time that Reno was making his discovery, Rude was being cheerfully assaulted by a grinning ninja princess. Fending the burbling girl off with one hand Rude pinched the bridge of his nose with the other and gritted his teeth against a frustrated groan. Much as the Turk appreciated Yuffie’s stylish and efficient rescue of him and his charges Rude was fighting a losing battle against exasperation with the irrepressible ninja. Abruptly giving up Rude let the girl drown him in joyous hugs and when she had calmed down somewhat he half-listened to her high-pitched babbling.

   
Rude’s apathy lasted approximately ten seconds before he was staring intently at Yuffie and hanging on her every word. In between twittering about nonsense the girl had hit upon the idea of holding a competition to gather the team of warriors Rude would need to bring across the sea to Rufus. The very concept captured Rude’s imagination and he was unable to supress a calculating smile that silenced Yuffie due its total incongruity on his face.

   
Still grinning like a predatory Kalm Wolf Rude gently pressed Yuffie into a chair and started to speak thoughtfully about his revelation, ‘A competition is all well and good Yuffie but to really sell the idea we need something to catch their imaginations. A tournament. They would give their all to become the Champion of Shadowtree, the strongest fighter of the resistance. And then if we told them about the team we need to form to help bring down one of the benefactors of those warlord bastards I think they would fight for the chance to be part of our group of warriors.’

   
By the time Rude finished Yuffie was bouncing up and down on her chair and finally she couldn’t contain herself. The beaming girl burst out, ‘Oh Gaia Rude, thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I get to plan a tournament and build up the spirits of my people and it’s all thanks to you! Just leave it to me and I’ll have our best fighters giving their all to prove they will kick that Veld guy’s ass for you…’

   
Rude sat there with his grin still on his face as Yuffie’s last sentence trailed off into the distance. Though he wasn’t generally known for his quick thinking, Rude was trying to sort through whirling thoughts that were shooting around his mind faster than a rampaging Cactuar and the concept of the tournament seemed to be bringing out his inner creativeness. Grabbing a piece of parchment Rude began to scribble down logistical notes for the organization of such a huge event, the sound of Yuffie’s high-pitched badgering floating in from outside.  
 

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Tseng stepped out of Rufus’ car in the pitch black of midnight and as his employer drove away the usually controlled man found he had to lean against the door while he tried to take in the information that had been relayed to him over the last few hours. The meeting with Elena, Vincent and Rufus had been illuminating to say the least and by the time he had left the apartment Tseng felt savagely confident that Veld was on his way down.

   
Aware that it was ridiculously late Tseng crept quietly into the house and stood for a few minutes at the bottom of the stairs, uncharacteristically indecisive. Though he knew that the Reno was probably dead asleep Tseng still wanted to make sure that the redhead had survived the day okay but he also didn’t want to feel all obsessive. Losing the battle with himself Tseng ghosted up the stairs and slipped into Reno’s room making less noise than a feather on the wind.

   
There was a thin strip of light streaming into Reno’s room through a chink in the curtains, the shimmering green radiance of mako. Tseng could see the gauntness of Reno’s face in the not-quite-dark and he felt an ache in his chest as he watched the redhead fidget restlessly in his sleep. Thinking to simply sit and collect himself before crashing in his own bed Tseng slumped into the overstuffed chair by the bed but before he knew it the exhausted man was out like a light.  
 

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 _The world around Reno was a sickly green and smelt like blood and concrete. No matter how hard he strained his eyes the swirling fog blinded him and a shudder ripped through his body as he heard a footstep behind him. Reno spun around in a crouch, his hair waving sluggishly as if through water, but there was no one behind him, only the sense of malevolence watching him. For the first time ever Reno’s nerve broke entirely and he fled into the mist._

_  
_ _No matter how fast he pushed his legs Reno could feel the presence getting nearer. Fear raised goosebumps all over his body and to make things even worse a low whisper cut through the unnatural silence, his own voice, the voice of Evil Reno. Forcing himself even faster, running from the unseen monster, Reno tried to do the impossible and outrun the darkness within himself._

_  
_ _‘Give it up yo, the terror will getcha.’ The voice hissed in Reno’s right ear causing him to stagger slightly and cut to the left. ‘I’m in you, you fucking idiot, you can’t escape me just like you can’t escape what’s chasing you. I know what’s following you yo, would you like to know? I can clue your tiny little brain into what will drag you screaming into hell…’_

_  
_ _Reno bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood and muttered, ‘Shut up, shut up! Get the fuck out of my head, I hate you so fucking much!’_

_  
_ _From behind the Turk a low snarl echoed through the fog forcing him to banish all thoughts except those of flight. Reno’s breath was starting to burn in his chest and although Evil Reno had fallen silent he could feel the glee of the bastard in his mind. Time seemed to slow and Reno could hear thudding footsteps right behind him, his legs wouldn’t move any faster and the hand that closed around his arm dragged a moan from his throat. Yanked around, muscles drained of strength, Reno stared into the demonic face of Veld and began to scream._

   
Ripping himself out of sleep Reno didn’t know where he was and barely knew who he was. Ragged screams tore from the man’s throat and still half caught in the nightmare he scrambled backwards on the bed until he was jammed in the corner of the wall. Wide-open eyes saw nothing but the grinning face of Veld so Reno’s heart nearly stopped when he felt himself pinned by a pair of strong arms and all he could think of was escape.

   
Tears ran unheeded down Reno’s face as his frantic struggles barely even shook the person holding him and a broken groan took the last of his strength. As he went limp the voice of the person confining him managed to break through Reno’s terror and he bewilderedly wondered when Veld had eaten Tseng’s voice. Reality began to shatter the hold of the dream and finally realizing he was safe, Reno surrendered control completely and lost himself to shuddering sobs.  
 

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Unaware he had fallen asleep Tseng was totally disoriented when something shocked him awake again. Panicked in a way that he totally wasn’t used to Tseng sat bolt upright in his chair and after a moment of confusion he figured out that he was still in Reno’s room and, oh Gaia, the horrible noise that had awoken him was Reno screaming. Shaken by the pure horror in Reno’s screams Tseng was jolted into action and launched himself at the man, wrapping his arms around him in an attempt to snap Reno back into the real world.

   
Tseng bit his tongue when Reno flailed and elbowed him in the face but instead of pulling away he trapped Reno’s arms and squeezed him gently to his chest. Remembering how he had talked Reno back into consciousness only a few nights before Tseng threw away whatever was left of his pride and began to murmur soft words in his native language. It wasn’t until Reno’s tension abruptly drained away and he started crying uncontrollably that Tseng let out a nearly inaudible sigh of relief.

   
Still muttering comfortingly Tseng simply held Reno and let the man release some of the poison pent up inside. Listening to the unfathomable pain in Reno’s sobs had Tseng trying not to tear up too and by the time Reno began to get himself together Tseng was having to force his voice to work around a lump in his throat. He felt Reno fall still eventually and in his relief he couldn’t help running his fingers through dishevelled red hair and briefly pressing the other man tight to his chest.

   
To Tseng it seemed like it was becoming a habit but he couldn’t bring himself to dwell on it as his eyes met Reno’s watery aquamarine gaze. Softly so as not to startle Reno Tseng said, ‘You have an uncanny way of comprehensively waking me up Reno. That sounded rather traumatic from this end. Do you want to talk about it at all?’

   
Patiently Tseng watched the emotions battle for supremacy on Reno’s face before the redhead said haltingly, ‘It wasn’t that bad yo, it was more the memories and shit. I didn’t know that you could get a flashback in a dream… Hah, now I know better yo. Shit Tseng, bossman, today went so well and then this… I hate having all this in my head.’

   
Tseng hesitated for a second not sure if he was pushing too hard but in a moment of abandon he blurted, ‘Reno, you don’t have to deal with this alone. You don’t have to hide this all inside and try and fight it yourself. Tell me what happened… Please?’

   
Wincing inside at the pleading tone in his voice Tseng snapped his mouth shut and looked away. He flicked his gaze back to Reno though when the man’s trembling hand reached up and settled on his shoulder. ‘This goes no further yo… I can’t… No one else can know. Not Rufus, not Rude, no one ‘kay?’

   
The silence drew out until Tseng firmly nodded then Reno sighed and continued, ‘The beatings were going on for a long time yo, I messed up a lot. I deserved most of what I got, you know what a fuck up I am. But that last time… He was looking at me but more like through me yo. Then I screamed. I-I couldn’t help it yo it hurt so bad but… Oh Gaia Tseng he liked it. It wasn’t until I screamed that he started... That’s when he… Fuck I can’t do this!’

   
Tseng sat stunned at Reno’s disjointed words and immediately regretted reaching for his friend when Reno jerked away from him. Trying to work out what the hell you say to something like that Tseng was a little taken aback when Reno started talking again in a defeated whisper, ‘I don’t know what it was about me Tseng. I’ve seen a couple of other people stagger out of the basement before but never… I think he liked my pain yo, more than anyone’s, that’s why he…’

   
Reno paused again for a moment and Tseng’s attention sharpened as the redhead wiped all expression off his face, fixed his gaze on the duvet and continued, ‘I don’t cry yo, though the last week begs to differ I guess. But that day he kept hitting me until he couldn’t lift his arm, I think that was when he broke my ribs, and I couldn’t stop the tears and he saw. H-he fucked me and ripped me to fuck yo but that, well fuck, that wasn’t the worst. H-he made me c-cum.’

   
The last words were said in the ghost of a whisper but rocked Tseng’s world like a Meteor. A large number of small details clicked into place to form a horrible but comprehensive picture and Tseng was overwhelmed by a strange, stomach-churning combination of rage and utter, heart-breaking helplessness. The look on Reno’s face, one of desolation and resignation, bypassed Tseng’s brain and before he knew it he was again holding Reno close as if the man was about to disappear.  
 

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In the billowing tent of purple and gold Rude was sitting hunched over at the desk trying not to spit and Yuffie was glaring at him with a look that promised pain if she didn’t get her way. In a tone of forced calm Rude ground out for the hundredth time, ‘No Yuffie. In fact, fuck no. The fucking champion of the fucking tournament does not fucking get to fight me. You’ve done a great job of pulling this thing together but no!’

   
Yuffie’s eyes widened at the excessive obscenities spilling from the usually contained man sitting at her desk but she still leaned forward and got right in his face without hesitation. The ninja girl’s voice didn’t bode well as it was both filled and coated with iron as she said, ‘The people who choose to leave their own fight and follow you need to know that they have a leader who can lead, you qīngwā cāo de liúmáng! Gaia Rude, these people don’t just need a boss, they need a fucking hero and unfortunately that has to be you!’

   
Glaring daggers at the petite girl Rude was totally unable to come up with a plausible rebuttal. The hulking Turk’s mind doggedly flicked through his available arguments but discarded them all in an instant. Able at least to admit when he was beat, Rude sighed loudly and said with a wry smile, ‘Alright, it seems you win this round little ninja. I guess I’m just glad to be on the same side as you. A will like that I’m surprised you haven’t united Wutai and taken over the world.’

   
The change was scarily quick and complete, in an instant Yuffie went from murderous to butterflies and glittery things. With a smile so winning that birds fell from the trees in adoration Yuffie fluttered her eyelashes, ‘I’m the secret weapon alright, but don’t tell anyone. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a secret and I’d have to castrate you with my shuriken and pour hot tar over the wound.’

   
Rude could only stare in a mixture of amusement and horror as Yuffie winked and made enthusiastic gestures meant to convey the idea of brutal de-balling. Skipping to the entrance of the tent Yuffie looked over her shoulder and delivered a well-aimed parting shot, ‘Better get your beauty sleep oh great and mighty Turk. In three days’ time you’ll be the Champion of Shadowtree, leader of the fighting elite and we can’t have you looking like shit for that can we?’


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Warning for talk about rape. Things are moving and hopefully the next chapter should see some progression forward instead of backward for Reno...  
>  Translation: Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ – Please forgive me.**

Tseng woke up early the next morning with a jerk and an instinctive grab for the gun at his side. Though the dawn light was shining warmly through the gap in the curtains and there was nothing ominous about the atmosphere Tseng still found himself as tense as a bow-string, something was not right. Then it hit him like a heavy rock from a great height, Reno was nowhere to be seen and the silence of the house proclaimed its abundance of emptiness. In the blink of an eye Tseng was off the bed and down the stairs, a gleam deep in his eyes betraying the fear he felt.

   
It was lucky that Tseng had long trained himself in the art of observation or he might have missed the note pinned to the door moving at the speed he was. As it was he had ripped the door open and was over the doorstep before he could stop himself and reverse, slamming the door shut again and glaring at the paper fluttering against the wood. Reigning in his self-control Tseng plucked the note from the door and quickly scanned the messily scrawled message.

   
The note read, ‘Yo Bossman, I would’ve woken you but you needed the sleep. I know you’re probably panicking, thinking I’ve gone and done something stupid but this time you’d be wrong yo. Just out for a walk, I’ll be back in time to get to work so don’t burst a blood vessel ‘kay Mr Bossman?’

   
With no one there to hide his emotions from Tseng’s face was an open book of frustration, exasperation and worry. Slamming the note down on the table Tseng reluctantly resigned himself to the fact that he had no option but to wait for Reno to get back, so with great ill-humour he sat at the table and began to meticulously clean his gun. It wasn’t just that Reno was out alone that had Tseng so on edge, he was also worried about the effect that last night’s confessions might have on the fragile Turk.  
 

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In the dim light between night and morning Reno slouched along the almost silent streets of Sector Four. The wind swirled the fog from the reactors into haunting phantasms in the half-light and Reno’s long red tail of hair lashed around his head like a fiery whip. Not headed anywhere in particular Reno sucked in deep breaths of the chill air and tried to keep the battle in his head down to a dull roar. Brooding and distracted though he was Reno still moved with enough predatory grace and awareness to discourage the small-time criminals who scurried out of his path.

   
A large part of Reno’s mind was occupied with figuratively shaking himself silly and demanding to know the fantastically pressing reason that necessitated him telling Tseng _that_ last night. Evil Reno was having a field day of mockery and sneering but this was compounded by the fact that Reno agreed with every vicious word that echoed in his skull. Blue-green eyes stared dully in front of him and Reno bleakly wondered how the hell he could ever look Tseng in the face again.

   
In the small part of Reno’s mind not taken up with castigating himself, a maelstrom of emotions smashed together and actually managed to spill over and drown out Evil Reno briefly. Under the shame and guilt and utter self-loathing lurked something that Reno tried everything to supress but that kept bubbling back up, seeping into his heart and sapping his resolve. Though he denied it frantically Reno knew that he was hopelessly in love with Tseng.

   
Letting out a low groan Reno turned around and started trudging back in the direction of the Turk safehouse. The walk hadn’t done anything to help his state of mind and Reno could already see the scowl on Tseng’s face that would immediately be burning a hole in his face when he opened the door. In time to the listless thudding of his boots on the pavement Reno began to hold a spirited argument with himself.

   
Evil Reno started maliciously like always, ‘In love yo? With that amazing specimen of perfect bloody Wutaiin stoicism? Don’t make me laugh, you couldn’t have picked someone more out of your league if you’d tried yo. Anyway, didn’t the Don teach you well enough, you’re not made for love; you’re just a slut built for a quick fuck and nothing more. Yo, have you even looked at yourself lately?’

   
Gritting his teeth Reno resisted the impulse to hiss out loud. He knew he was fucking crazy but it would be nice if everyone else didn’t have to know too. Instead he thought back, ‘Shut up, just shut the fuck up, you’re wrong. Oh Gaia you have to be wrong. He looked at me, when he took out my stitches… I didn’t, I can’t have imagined it. He’s taken care of me even after… Even after knowing all this shit, he hasn’t thrown me away. He didn’t have to…’

   
Reno could almost picture the shit-eating grin on Evil Reno’s face when the voice butted back in, not even waiting for him to finish, ‘Hah! You think he’d be doing any of that shit if Rufus ‘Bossy Bastard’ Shinra hadn’t ordered him to? Come on fuckface, we both saw how he was when Rufus made his little visit yo, pissed off doesn’t even start to cover it. If he had any feelings for you he wouldn’t keep manhandling you… For fuck’s sake, I can’t believe I’m arguing this, you _know_ it’s a total fucking fantasy yo.’

   
Despite wanting to argue, Reno had spent so long believing the insidious voice in his head that he honestly couldn’t come up with a rejoinder. Lapsing into total silence Reno fixed his eyes on the footpath and sped up slightly, not willing to subject himself to the flagellation of his own thoughts for longer than necessary. Sighing softly when the house came back into sight Reno squared his angular shoulders and prepared to face a highly irate Tseng.  
 

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The table in front of Tseng should have been suffering scorch marks from the intensity of the burning stare leveled at it but the wood in reality remained cool and char-free. When the door creaked in a somehow apologetic manner to signal Reno’s return Tseng stayed exactly where he was but transferred his gaze to the man entering the house. Unseen, the tension turning Tseng’s shoulders to rock eased a little under his impeccable suit as Reno reentered the house.

   
He started out okay, but things rapidly turned to shit. Tseng didn’t know what it was but the control he had over his emotions and his mind seemed to vanish like smoke in the wind where Reno was concerned. He waited until Reno had closed the door before saying reasonably, ‘We agreed that going out on your own was not a good idea Reno, what were you thinking? I didn’t even know you were out, let alone where you were.’

   
Things were fine at that point. Just fine, totally okay. Then as Tseng watched Reno carefully the redhead shrugged offhandedly and said, ‘I didn’t think anyone would miss me yo, I was only out for an hour-ish. Besides, you need your sleep more than you need to be watching over the resident Turk fuck-up. Nothing happened yo, can’t I just get ready for work Bossman?’

   
That did it, that was what it took. Lack of sleep, no problem; facing superior numbers and fire-power, bring it on; hearing Reno dismiss himself as worth less than an hour of sleep, a flare of rage that momentarily blanked Tseng’s vision. The voice that came out of his mouth sounded like a feral snarl and Tseng couldn’t stop himself snapping abruptly, ‘What the fuck is wrong with you Reno? Rude saved your life, Rufus is working to bring down his father’s favourite subordinate and you would throw that away to get killed in the street by a mako-addled junkie!’

   
As soon as the words were out of his mouth Tseng found himself wishing that he could take back the last ten seconds of his life. The look on Reno’s face was one of shock, dismay and devastation, visible for a fleeting instant before the redhead turned and walked stiffly from the room. Tseng didn’t follow, staying seated at the table and wondering just what in the fuck it was about Reno that shattered his calm and control into nothing.

   
In the silence of the house Tseng sat motionless and tried to work out how he could fix that which his moment of anger had broken. For over an hour the Wutaiin Turk sat at the table alternately hoping that Reno would come back downstairs and trying to work out what he would say if that happened. In the end though time ran out and Tseng was forced to leave for work before he was late and incurred a session with Veld. Walking quietly out the door Tseng spared a moment to whisper softly in Wutaiin, ‘Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ Reno.’  
 

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Tseng’s words hit Reno like frag grenades, impacting hard and exploding into shrapnel that tore even deeper. Unable to speak beyond a breathless exhalation Reno abruptly left the room and strode jerkily upstairs. Making for his bedroom Reno barely made it through the door before the shivering started and he fell to his knees choking on disbelief and guilt. Barely able to control his limbs Reno shoved the door closed and tipped himself back against the wood, drawing his knees up to his chest and trying to stop the trembling overtaking his body.

   
Reno was shaken to the core by the unrestrained viciousness to Tseng’s words, he had always seen the man as the most coldly self-possessed person he had ever met. Knowing that he had been the one to shake free Tseng’s grip on himself scared Reno and thinking again over Tseng’s words he felt guilt start to overwhelm him. The voices in his head drowned out the world and tears began to stream down his face.

   
In vivid colour and slow motion the sight of Veld’s fist heading towards his face had Reno flinching violently despite knowing it wasn’t real. Words that the sadistic Director of the Turks had flung at him during their ‘sessions’ rang in his ears and filled his whole existence. With his eyes squeezed closed Reno shook his head over and over, trying to silence the words that filled his mind.

   
 _‘You’re fucking useless Reno, learn your fucking job.’_ Snarled with a sneer _.  
_ _‘I don’t know why we hired a fucking slumrat in the first place.’_ Spat out after a back-handed blow that knocked him to the ground and required a small dose of Cure _.  
_ _‘You know you deserve this, you’re a danger to your co-workers with the shit you pull.’_ Repeated so, so many times as a precursor to a vicious beating.  
 _‘I should send you back to the slums. Being a whore for Corneo would suit you much better than the life of a Turk. I just don’t think you’re good enough Reno.’_

   
The last phrase that growled in Reno’s head destroyed his strained emotional control and a choking moan burst from his throat. As if the sound was a catalyst Reno’s mind was ripped from the present and thrown back to suffer fragmented flashes of Veld’s insanity. A small whimper escaped his throat but Reno couldn’t hear it above the hell in his head.

   
 _A muscled arm curled around his neck, choking off his air cruelly and lifting him so he coulld barely touch the ground. Hot breath puffed on the back of his neck and he started to pass out, his lungs screaming for air. Unconsciousness was denied however and suddenly he was flying towards the wall, hitting with a crash and falling to the ground to land on his fractured arm. He heard himself scream._

_  
_ _In a flash the scene skipped forward. He was crushed to the ground on his stomach under a heavy body, every inch of him thrumming with pain. The rip of his pants tearing, then with no warning Veld was thrusting inside him and Reno couldn’t stop screaming, screaming. There was the pain but there was humiliation, disgust, and a vague feeling that somehow he deserved this…_

_  
_ _No. No no no no no! Reno felt the hand on him but he was too far gone to do anything but scream. He was being raped but his body was betraying him, aided by the calloused hand of Veld and the powerful thrusts slamming into just the wrong spot. He came convulsively and his mind fractured at the horror, only to tear apart further when Veld released inside him with a groan._

_  
_ _Suddenly Reno was in the hospital in the dark windowless room. Oh Gaia no, Veld! Please no… Falling, falling off the cot but not quick enough and Reno watched Veld come flying over the bed to pin him to the floor. Again. A hand stole his breath and Reno could hear nothing but the rough tones of Veld’s voice promising more violation before a painful death if anyone found out about their sessions. Shit. Oh shit. Anyone has found out._

_  
_ At the realization that he had disobeyed Veld’s very clear orders Reno yanked himself out of the barrage of memories and tried to slow his shallow breathing before he passed out. Slowly the crippling fear began to recede a little and gradually Reno found himself able to think more clearly. In a moment of uncharacteristic rationality Reno shakily told himself that Veld had no way of knowing that there was a rebellion stirring against him or that Reno had broken his silence and he tried to make himself believe it.

   
It took a while but eventually Reno was able to get to his feet and make his way to the en suite bathroom. Catching a glimpse of his face in the mirror Reno froze for a moment, almost unable to recognize the ghostly white, gaunt reflection staring back at him with tormented hollow eyes. Reno tore his gaze away from the disturbing sight and began to wash his face, studiously avoiding looking into the mirror again and once he felt a little more human he forced himself to walk out the door and to the sewer entrance to get to work.  
 

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Excited voices echoed among the dwellings of Shadowtree, word spreading quickly of a great tournament to be held very soon. Every member of the resistance from the youngest child to the most venerable elder were whispering enthusiastically, eagerly anticipating something that promised to bring joy to their difficult lives. Most people had been assigned a task to help with the preparations and every face was stretched in a smile, happy to be assisting with what promised to be the event of the year.

   
Not everyone was ecstatic however. After sitting in conference about the coordination of the different rounds of fighting for four hours straight Rude was ready to evaporate in a puff of exasperation and restlessness. His mind kept wandering far from the glades of Shadowtree, across the sea to Midgar to dwell worriedly on the well-being of the partner he had come to view as his brother. Rude periodically dragged his attention back to the meeting at hand, only to find it creeping back to the subject of Reno a minute later.

   
During the hammering out of an extremely boring and complicated set of rules for the final rounds of competition Rude nearly jumped out of his skin when a small hand gripped his shoulder. Standing behind the bald Turk was Yuffie the grinning ninja and she leant forward to whisper in his ear, ‘If you run now I can take your place and finish the deliberations. Sidle slowly towards the trees and I’ll make sure no one is paying you any attention.’

   
Rude nodded gratefully and was out of his seat like a shot. He winced as Yuffie raised a very intelligent issue about a point everyone thought had been settled but a small smile graced his lips when he heard the uproar behind him, an indication that nobody was paying him the slightest hint of attention. His feet taking control of his direction Rude found himself standing by the sparkling lake in the middle of Shadowtree and he slumped to the ground, unable to banish the image of the pale shadow of Reno he had seen through the vidscreen.

   
For as long as he had known the redhead Turk Rude had quietly enjoyed the man’s irrepressible cockiness, although he would rather choke on his own tongue than admit it to Reno’s face. Seeing his friend without a smile or a glint in his eye shook Rude to the core and knowing that Reno had been low enough to attempt suicide scared him shitless. Struggling with surging anger and despair Rude stared at the glittering blue lake and tried to find some semblance of calm within himself.

   
The sun moved overhead and Rude sat motionless. Waves appeared on the clear water when the wind picked up but Rude remained as still as a stone. Shadows stretched long across the ground and the sky turned the blood red of sunset, still Rude stared blankly at nothing. It wasn’t until Yuffie appeared out of nowhere and gently touched his arm that Rude moved at all and even then he only turned his head an inch so that he could look at the ninja girl over the top of his glasses.

   
Rude should have been used to Yuffie completely wrong-footing him but he still gaped like a landed fish at the first words out of the tiny girl’s mouth. With a look that managed to combine affection and complete exasperation Yuffie said, ‘Just call your damn friend already Rude, I’m sure he misses you too. Worrying yourself sick isn’t going to help anyone you know.’

   
With strength that belied her petite frame Yuffie hauled Rude to his feet and pulled him in the direction of her tent, muttering under her breath the whole way about emotionally constipated men. Rude for the most part ignored the girl fussing around him like a mother hen and spent the walk trying to figure out what to say to Reno. In the back of his mind Rude was unable to supress a nagging suspicion, he was sure that there was still something Reno was holding back from him.

   
Maintaining his poleaxed look Rude allowed Yuffie to push him into the chair behind the desk and he simply watched as she efficiently started up the vidscreen for him. Surfacing long enough to give Yuffie a strained smile of thanks Rude waited until the girl skipped out of the tent and then let out a shaky breath. Forcing himself to man up Rude punched in the key to call Rufus and made himself to sit patiently, waiting for the call to go through.  
 

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Reno was completely immersed in a complicated experiment with some extremely volatile materia when a knock on the door made him jump, sparking a small explosion of inexplicably blue energy. Swearing worse than a foul mouthed SOLDIER Reno blinked to clear his vision and staggered over to open the door. The redhead’s mouth snapped shut on a particularly disgusting curse upon seeing who it was and he stared suspiciously at Rufus who stood elegantly in the door of the lab.

   
Whatever Reno expected it was definitely not what he got. With a look on his face that looked incongruously like good humour Rufus nodded a greeting and stated, ‘Come on, you’re going on a break. Don’t argue Reno just follow me.’

   
A little creeped out by the strangeness of the situation Reno gave up and followed Rufus silently through the dimly lit hallways of the Weapons Division building. When they arrived at a tiny little hole-in-the-wall office Reno entered the room on Rufus’ gesture and saw a vidscreen sitting on the solitary desk in the centre of the room. Curious, Reno walked over so that he could see the person on the screen and at that point he promptly forgot Rufus even existed. A wide grin spread across Reno’s face and he couldn’t resist blurting, ‘Careful yo, I might start thinking you like having me around partner.’

   
Rufus quietly closed the door and stood guard outside but Reno was oblivious to all but the weather-beaten face of his oldest friend. Opening his mouth to babble something nonsensical Reno quickly snapped it shut again as Rude cut him off. There was no small talk or pleasantries and Reno lost his breath at the first blunt words out of Rude’s mouth, ‘What aren’t you telling me Reno? I know you too well partner and it’s not sitting well that you’re still holding something back when shit’s this serious.’

   
Reno’s mouth hung open for a moment but then his walls came slamming back up and he wiped all emotion from his face. In a voice that was pretty much the antithesis of everything Reno he said flatly, ‘You know it all Rude. If I was going to hide anything don’t you think it would be that Veld fucked me like a damn geisha bitch? Dammit yo I knew it was too good to be true that you called because you missed me.’

   
For a second Reno was sure that Rude was going to terminate the call but his partner surprised him massively. Through the vidscreen Reno saw Rude’s eyebrows draw together in a scowl and his own eyes flew wide open when Rude lowered his head and took off his ever-present sunglasses. Rude looked Reno straight in the eye and the words he spoke sounded like a plea, ‘Gaia Reno don’t do this. You’ve never hid shit from me before and… Fuck… You can’t fight this by yourself.’

   
Reno was taken aback by the tone in Rude’s voice, one he had never heard from the huge man even in their worst moments. The impulse to deflect, dissemble and flat out deny was very strong but in the end Reno just couldn’t lie to Rude. Looking away from the screen Reno muttered, ‘Fuck you and the horse you rode in on yo… Why couldn’t you just let it lie? I can’t get this shit out of my head and somehow you fucken know from 2000km away.’

   
Unable to lift his eyes and look at his best friend Reno spoke to the floor, ‘I’m having nightmares Rude, ones that are driving me insane because they’re memories yo. Sometimes it’s that fucker in t-the basement… Shiva’s stone cold cunt Rude, he took everything from me with what he did. I wake up wondering well fuck, maybe he thought… Maybe I wanted it somehow?’

   
Slumping back in his chair Reno transferred his gaze to the ceiling, ‘I ain’t been sleeping well yo, I know how I look too so don’t bother to comment. All the hell I’ve seen with the Turks, the people I’ve killed, I’ve never had no trouble sleeping… And then along comes that sick bastard, screws up everything in my tiny fucking head.’

   
With a sigh Reno slouched forward and locked eyes with Rude who was starting to look sick to his stomach. Barely louder than a whisper Reno said, ‘This is fuckin’ with me Rude, turning me into something that isn’t me yo. I’m hiding in my own head and fuck you know I’m not one for hiding. And I’m scared. I hate myself for it but I’m scared out of my Gaia-damned mind and I’m barely dealing with it.’

   
Raising a hand when Rude went to speak Reno continued in an even softer tone, ‘I, uh, there’s something else yo, something I haven’t even told Tseng. It’s left me a fucking snivelling mess and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. When… In the hospital yo, after that stupid shit with the window, Veld was there… I c-couldn’t do anything and I thought he was going to kill me yo…I just cowered there like the useless piece of nothing he’s always told me I am.’

   
When Reno stuttered into humiliated silence Rude made a noise that was something between a whine and a growl. In the long moment that Reno stared uncomfortably at his friend Rude finally marshalled his powers of speech, ‘Ah fuck partner what I should be over there standing next to you. It’s not enough but all I can do is remind you of the plan and try and make you believe that we will take that sack of shit down no matter what it takes. You stick with Rufus and Tseng Reno, they’ll watch your back until I get home.’

   
A small smile ghosted across Reno’s face before disappearing again behind his grim facade. He floundered for something to say to show Rude just how touched he was but before he could come up with anything the door of the tiny office slammed open and standing there like a skeletal angel of vengeance was Scarlet. The next few seconds were full of dragging and snapping and it was all Reno could do to wave wretchedly at Rufus. To Reno’s surprise Rufus smiled wryly and made a gesture of commiseration before Reno was pulled out of sight.  
 

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Standing outside of an out of the way office was not exactly how Rufus had planned to spend his afternoon but leaving Reno unguarded was unthinkable so he utilized the time creating fiendish extensions to his plan. Caught up in his own twisted scheming Rufus was midway through working out the logistics of flooding Veld’s punishment room with fake blood when he was shoved to the side unexpectedly and narrowly missed sprawling on the ground in an undignified heap.

   
Extremely pissed at having been caught unawares Rufus spun on his heel ready to blister the offending person with his acid tongue, but his prepared scathing words evaporated in his throat when he saw the look on Scarlet’s face as she blew through the door. Although he definitely did not appreciate being manhandled in such a fashion Rufus had a very well developed sense of self-preservation and knew that now was not the time to pick a battle with a very irate Scarlet.

   
Calm and collected by the time Scarlet reappeared with a shell-shocked Reno in tow Rufus managed a sympathetic wave and a sardonic smile before the redhead was hauled away to an uncertain fate. Unhurriedly Rufus walked into the office room and sat gracefully down in front of the vidscreen, nodding serenely at Rude who was staring wide-eyed back at him.

   
In a curt tone, calculated to snap Rude out of his bewilderment Rufus said, ‘Nice to see you too Rude, you’re welcome for the call by the way. As you know that was Scarlet, Reno’s superior until things are a little more conducive to his well-being in the Turks again and I should have known she wouldn’t agree with Reno taking an unscheduled break. Now are we going to speak or should I just continue talking to myself?’

   
As planned Rude responded instinctively to sharpness and Rufus let out a short breath when the Turk stuttered out, ‘My a-apologies Sir, it won’t happen again. I… This is just so wrong. There’s, well, ah fuck, may I speak freely Sir?’

   
Rufus narrowed his eyes but nodded his assent for Rude to continue. If possible the bald man became even more halting but he managed to force out, ‘I can’t even believe I’m saying this Sir… It hurts my brain to be thinking it, but Reno… Reno’s losing it and I don’t know what to do. There’s some things that he’s still hiding from us… Fuck I don’t think he’s even talking to Tseng and you know how he looks up to him. I hate to ask Sir, but do you think, maybe, you could talk to Tseng and see if he can snap Reno out of this secretive bullshit? Gaia dammit to hell Rufus I’m really scared for him.’

   
Taking a moment to absorb the atypical look of worry on Rude’s face Rufus nodded decisively, ‘You’re right, Tseng does have the best chance of all us in breaking through Reno’s defenses. If you’ll excuse me I will do my best to hunt him out and make sure that this stops now. Also, I’ll keep you updated as to what happens; I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this agitated Rude and I don’t like it.’

   
Rufus ignored the incoherent thanks that Rude was stammering and brusquely bid him goodbye. Once the vidscreen went blank the son of Shinra sat and glared at the desk for less than a minute before grabbing the vidscreen and sweeping out of the room. Once again on a mission Rufus stalked through the corridors of ShinRa, ignoring the frantic scuffles of lowly employees to keep out of his way, entirely focused on finding Tseng.  
 

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Rude, as a rule, was never flustered but he felt like kissing the vidscreen when Rufus promised to keep him in the loop about Reno. Staring at the black screen Rude grappled with a strange mess of emotions ranging from gratitude and hopefulness towards Rufus, to a gnawing pain in his gut regarding the things Reno had told him. Unaccustomed to dealing with anything even vaguely like the emotional shitstorm in his head Rude groaned and staggered outside.

   
Somehow Rude’s feet had a destination in mind again and he found himself back at the lake he had visited earlier. Finding his way to the tree that he already thought of as his tree Rude slid to the ground and began to do the closest thing he had to meditation, removing his sunglasses and meticulously cleaning every tiny spot of dirt from the tinted glass. The big man’s breathing slowly evened out and by the time he moved on to the second lens he was feeling a lot more like himself. He even heard the displacement of air that signalled the approach of Yuffie and quickly turned to stare at the girl just as she reached for his shoulder.

   
A quick smile crossed Rude’s face at the startled obscene curse that slipped from Yuffie when his head snapped towards her but the gentle expression was quickly chased away by the storm cloud that seemed to have set up residence. Turning his attention back to the last stubborn speck of dust on his glasses Rude felt the girl sink down cross-legged beside him and lapse into comfortable silence. Rude let the silence last just long enough for him to be sure that the big-mouthed ninja wasn’t there simply to babble inanely and then he looked sideways at his companion.

   
Rude decided to start lightly and hopefully saying, ‘Hello Yuffie, I see you’re not here to make my head explode. Is there something you need to talk to me about regarding the tournament plans?’

   
Unfortunately Yuffie had not arrived with light banter in mind and destroyed Rude’s tranquil state with six evenly spoken words, ‘Rude, talk to me about Reno.’

   
In a split second Rude held a war in his head, battling over whether or not to do something he had never voluntarily done before; open up to someone outside of the Turks. It was a big deal for Rude but in all honesty it was never really in question and his shoulders slumped in defeat. ‘I don’t know what Rufus has told you Yuffie, but I’d bet he at least outlined the events that have taken place. I won’t tell you the parts that are only Reno’s to tell but if you’ve got time I think I need to get this shit out of my head.’

   
Without hesitation Yuffie nodded and Rude continued, ‘Veld needs to be stopped so he doesn’t self-destruct and take the Turks with him, but for some of us it’s a lot more personal. Reno has been my partner for longer than I care to think but what Veld did to him has broken him in a way that all the horrific Turk business never has. Dammit Yuffie, seeing him like this scares me. Nothing scares me, but this, the way Reno is now, terrifies me.’

   
Rude stopped for a second to swallow heavily but when Yuffie leant gently on his arm in support he managed to keep talking, ‘It’s my fault Yuffie. I was meant to remind Reno about his damn report but I thought it would be funny to let him sweat about forgetting to hand something in yet again. Bahamut’s balls! Fuckin’ funny… How in hell is this fucking funny?’

   
This time Rude had to stop because his voice had dried up completely. He had spent the last few days shoving all the conflict in his thoughts into the background but now the guilt inside had burst into full bloom. The hulking Turk struggled to keep control of himself but when Yuffie wordlessly wrapped him in a huge hug he let out a shaky sigh and let himself hug her back. Sitting there by the lake enfolded in the unconditional acceptance offered by the girl who was wise beyond her years, Rude felt something poisonous inside him start to loosen and disappear.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Warning only for a little bit of sexytime. Please excuse my poor sex scene writing... Any suggestions would be gratefully received lol. Enjoy.**

Tseng walked back to the safehouse at noon, bewildered at the startling change of pace of his day. Just ten minutes previously the Wutaiin Turk had found himself cornered by a determined Rufus who had told him on no uncertain terms to leave work immediately and go and wait for Reno at the safehouse. In the space of a few seconds Tseng had gone from ferociously ripping through a pile of paperwork to wondering how in the hell he was meant to get through to Reno when the man’s partner and best friend had gotten precisely nowhere.

   
Face to face with the front door Tseng had no idea how he had gotten home and like a robot he entered the house and went to sit in the lounge. Deep brown eyes stared at the floor showing a tiny fraction of the emotional mess inside his mind and Tseng, without knowing it, took a leaf out of Reno’s book and started arguing with his own subconscious. Like most conversations Tseng had been part of recently, things started out civilised enough but deteriorated rapidly.

   
‘Okay, so Rufus says talk to Reno. He doesn’t seem to have any idea of the minefield he’s ordered me into but when the Son of Shinra says jump you jump for your damn life. The thing is, if Reno walked through the door right this second I wouldn’t have any fucken idea of where to even start. Gaia’s love, I hate seeing him this way…’

   
As his last thought echoed round his head something awoke in Tseng and another side of his mind stretched and hissed, ‘You haven’t exactly helped him heal you know. How many times has he stared at you in terror when you were stupid enough and rough enough to grab him without thinking? In the time since Veld smashed him to pieces you have been the one to do the most damage… Despite the feelings you know you are still denying.’

   
Shocked at his own mind turning against him Tseng was unable to refute the truth in the words thrown up by his own treacherous brain. He wanted to reject the voice’s judgement of his mistakes but the words had been nothing but truth. Desperate for some way to break the voice’s spell Tseng blurted out loud in a low growl, ‘I can’t feel like this, I can’t hurt him through my own selfish wants. Shit…’

   
Dropping his voice to a whisper Tseng spoke to the voice but also to himself, ‘I don’t know how it happened but I… I care for that red-haired headcase. And damn me to any level of hell but I’ve been fighting it since long before this clusterfuck. But you know, well I know that this is not the time for the Bossman of the fucking Turks to turn into a fucking lovestruck girl… I can’t let this badly timed emotional anomaly hurt him more than he’s already been hurt!’

   
The voice faded away but as it left it murmured, ‘There, was that so hard?’ and Tseng’s heart stopped in his chest as he raised his eyes to see Reno standing in the doorway staring at him speechlessly. Caught for once with all of his defences in tatters Tseng swallowed hard and waited for Reno to cut him dead with a single word. Much as he loathed the feeling Tseng knew that he had absolutely no control of the situation he now found himself in.  
 

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It had nearly made Reno’s eyebrows shoot through his hairline when Scarlet marched back up to him around lunchtime and snapped that he was dismissed to have an afternoon off. Just as suddenly as she had appeared the red-clad Weapons Director turned around and stalked away leaving Reno slightly shell-shocked and wondering where the hell that had just come from. Vacantly tidying away the mess from his morning’s work Reno left the lab and drifted through the sewer route that now seemed the normal way home.

   
Not much went through Reno’s head on his journey home apart from a vague thought of a cooked lunch and an intravenous drip of coffee, so when he arrived at the house he pushed the door open absentmindedly and wandered in. He only made it a few steps inside before his brain informed him that there was a voice muttering in the lounge and without much conscious input his legs carried him through the kitchen to the lounge. Gazing at Tseng’s slumped form on the couch, Reno felt the man’s words hit him like punches.

   
The breath hissed out of Reno’s lungs and he couldn’t tear his stare away from Tseng’s tortured gaze. Though his body felt like it was frozen solid Reno’s thoughts were racing almost faster than he could form them. Quicker than the blink of an eye the thought flashed through, ‘He didn’t know I was here… Who takes the piss when there’s no one there yo?’ Followed almost instantly by, ‘Oh. Fuck. Was he… Serious?’

   
Registering that he was standing in thick silence in the center of a cloud of tension Reno forced his lungs to release the breath they were holding. In a bid to hide the fact that his legs were about to give way Reno lurched into the room and collapsed on the couch next to Tseng before he even attempted to say anything. Still holding Tseng’s gaze the redhead finally pulled himself together enough to open his mouth but all he could whisper in a bewildered voice was, ‘Why?’  
 

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Tseng was transfixed by the blue-green stare that was trained on him and never before had he felt so uncertain and so vulnerable. Usually Tseng’s reaction to feeling even the slightest bit vulnerable was to descend into cold anger but this time he was fighting that instinct, driven by something undefinable speaking to him from Reno’s eyes. The single soft word from the normally brash Turk warned Tseng that whatever he chose to say next better damn well be the right thing.

   
In a strained voice, far from his usual serene tones, Tseng murmured, ‘You fascinate me Reno. Watching you is like the fire mediation I once did as a child in Wutai, burning red, unpredictable, mesmerizing. You heard what I said, this isn’t a new thing, I just… I can’t lie to myself anymore. I can’t hold it together even though that’s meant to be the damn thing I’m known for. Why Reno? Because I can’t not…’

   
Cutting himself off Tseng finally broke eye contact and looked at the ground. Reno hadn’t made a sound after his one word query but Tseng didn’t want to risk interruption as he might never get himself talking again. ‘I was thinking about it Reno, I think this started in my head at least as far back as that mission we were sent on to the Bone Village. When the target nearly managed to take you out with that materia explosion… It shook me. I don’t get scared but seeing you almost get blown to bits hit me harder than anything else had before.’

   
Tseng could feel Reno’s stare boring into the side of his head but still he kept his eyes on the floor. For someone who unflinchingly met life head on as a rule Tseng found himself utterly incapable of looking over at Reno. ‘If I could have kept my mouth shut you would have never known Reno. Fuck, this is the last thing you need to be thinking about with everything going on. But obviously I’ve lost my touch because I’m babbling like a damn mako junkie.’

   
Before he could overanalyze, before he could bite his own tongue off, Tseng closed his eyes and muttered, ‘You’re a pain in the proverbial ass Reno, but fuck… I… I love you.’

   
The reaction to the confession that he had torn from his own throat was definitely not what Tseng had expected. In the ringing silence that followed Tseng’s halting words Reno choked on a cross between a sob and a laugh and said so quietly that Tseng had to strain to hear him, ‘You care for us yo, your Turks. I get that, you’re a good Bossman. But I can pretend you never said that other stuff… Someone like you shouldn’t be wasting your love on a fuck up like me. Anyway, once your guilt stops talking you’ll want to kick the shit out of me for hearing any of this.’

   
There was a heartbeat of silence and then Tseng was on his knees in front of the couch, fingers digging into the sofa cushions on either side of Reno to stop himself from grabbing the man and sparking another meltdown. In a voice so soft and deadly that it made Reno shiver Tseng snarled, ‘If you _ever_ say anything like that again Reno I’ll invent a whole new form of torment to inflict on you. _Nothing you said is true_!’

   
Desperately, while Reno was still caught motionless in the wake of his fervent words, Tseng leant forward and touched the redhead’s lips with a gentle finger. Slowly, giving Reno all the time in the world to pull away, Tseng reached up and let the very tips of his fingers trail over the red tattoos on Reno’s cheekbones. Encouraged by a tiny sigh from the other man Tseng gave into a most uncharacteristic combination of playfulness and gentleness, and placed a feather-light kiss on Reno’s mouth barely brushing their lips together.  
 

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In the woods of Shadowtree Rude was standing and staring, feeling slightly shell-shocked. The Turk was scrutinizing a structure that had sprung up overnight, an enormous stone and soil amphitheatre created almost single-handedly by Yuffie and her bafflingly large stock of Earth Materia. The result of the princess’ hard work was a sprawling three-quarter circle of tiered stone, each ledge shaped to form comfortable seating for the spectators. The structure was big enough to accommodate the nine thousand souls who inhabited Shadowtree but was designed so that every viewer would be able to see the fighting clearly.

   
Rude wasn’t sure how long he stood staring at the newly titled Liberation Arena but he was brought back to himself by the irritating noise of a certain ninja girl preening like a hippogriff in front of a mirror. Trying to wipe a sneaking smile off his face Rude looked over at the girl to say something but instead he burst out laughing. Yuffie had her hands on her skinny hips and her chest puffed out so far she was almost bent over backwards, a grin of satisfaction and pride stretching from ear to ninja ear.

   
It took a while but Rude eventually recovered and a sober look took over his face. Suddenly serious he caught Yuffie’s eye and said, ‘When things start tonight Yuff, what do I say? In case you haven’t noticed I don’t talk unless I have to… Reno always was the one to yap enough for both of us. I can’t just blurt out some crap, what can I say that will give them faith that I will bring their warriors back to your fight after winning mine?’

   
Though he wasn’t really expecting a meaningful response Rude was blown away when Yuffie looked at him just as seriously and replied, ‘Just tell them that Rude. They know you as the big bald bugger who risked his own life to bring in their neighbours and families. Word travels fast in Shadowtree and everyone knows about the Turk from over the sea who saved people he’d never met just because they were about to die. When they look at you tonight they won’t be expecting Loveless rewritten and they don’t want that. Seriously Rude, tell them what you told me, they’ll cheer and then the fighting will begin and you can relax. Well, kind of.’

   
When Yuffie fell silent Rude suddenly became aware that his mouth was hanging open and he shut it with a snap. Shaking his head the Turk abandoned any pretence of aloofness and grabbed the ninja girl into an affectionate hug. Rude ignored the high pitched squeak of alarm that he squeezed out of Yuffie and tried to impart through the medium of hug just how grateful he was to her for absolutely everything.

   
Rude released the ruffled but grinning Yuffie after a minute and after taking a deep breath he took the girl’s hand. The mismatched pair walked off in the direction of Yuffie’s tent, Rude in silence and Yuffie chirping with the enthusiasm of a Chocobo on speed-plus about who might be in the final match and how Rude could best make a spectacle.  
 

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The lounge of the safehouse was silent but for the slightly ragged breathing of the two Turks. In a fog of want and disbelief that this was actually happening Tseng again touched his lips to Reno’s and flicked his tongue over the soft skin. Though his mind was clouded with the urges that he had denied for so long Tseng was not too far gone to feel it when Reno flinched away and carefully he drew back a bit. Reno’s head was tilted forward, hiding his face behind the jagged red curtain of his fringe but when Tseng tensed to get up Reno whispered ‘Please don’t… Don’t go…’

   
Tseng stayed kneeling in front of Reno for a second, torn between what he wanted to do and what he thought he should do and in that moment Reno slid off the couch. With a glimmer of his former effortless sensuality Reno slid onto Tseng’s lap and straddled his thighs. Shocked into immobility Tseng could only sit there as Reno slipped slender arms around his neck and brought their faces together for a tentative yet intense kiss. Tseng let out a shuddering breath, softly returning the kiss but letting Reno dictate the pace.

   
It seemed to end too soon and Tseng couldn’t help but make a wordless sound of disappointment when Reno drew away again. Glancing up into Reno’s face however Tseng found himself bewitched by aquamarine eyes filled with a strange mix of uncertainty and desire and he knew that those emotions were mirrored in his own face. Slowly, so as not to startle Reno, Tseng got gracefully to his feet and pulled Reno to his feet too. Once again Reno took Tseng by surprise, as with a wicked grin that made him look almost like his old self the redhead took off towards his bedroom dragging Tseng behind him.

   
Before Tseng knew it he was in Reno’s bedroom, pressed up against the closed door with a very attentive Reno flush against the front of his body. Insistent hands pushed Tseng’s jacket off his shoulders and Tseng shivered, sighing into the kiss. Reno fought with obstinate buttons before creeping his fingers beneath Tseng’s shirt and stroking against heated skin. Gingerly Tseng ran his fingers up Reno’s neck and cupped the man’s face lightly slipping his tongue between Reno’s lips, deepening the kiss and letting a small part of his desire show through.  
 

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When he moved onto Tseng’s lap Reno hadn’t thought further than stopping Tseng from leaving. In his head Evil Reno was howling and setting off every possible alarm bell but somehow Reno was able to shove the mental noise away to concentrate on what he wanted for once. He had flinched from Tseng’s touch because a momentary flash of Veld’s face had filled his mind, but Reno couldn’t stand the thought of the sick fuck poisoning this unbelievable thing that in all probability shouldn’t even be happening.

   
Reno used the kiss to say everything his voice was currently unable to say, the eloquent dance of his tongue and the movement of his lips exposing the longing and the ache he felt for the man now wrapped in his arms. The fact that Tseng actually returned the kiss blew Reno’s mind and he had to pull away to avoid being totally lost in the fascinatingly silky feel of Tseng’s mouth. The noise that Tseng made when their lips parted went straight to the pit of Reno’s stomach and that was the point where he decided he would get Tseng into his damn bedroom come hell, high water or the end of the world.

   
They had barely made it through the bedroom door before Reno decided that he couldn’t stand the separation anymore. With the quickness that made him such a dangerous Turk, Reno kicked the door shut and pushed the taller man back against the wood, pressing his body firmly against Tseng and reigniting their burning kiss. Bits of Reno’s brain seemed to be short-circuiting but somehow he managed to divest Tseng of his jacket and fumble his way past the irritating barrier of the man’s pristine shirt. A transient thought passed through his head, 'Oh dear Gaia, is he made of velvet-wrapped stone?'

   
Feeling the man's quick intake of breath at the touch of his fingers Reno smirked into the kiss and lightly dragged his nails along the top of Tseng’s collarbones. The cross between a growl and a moan that his action elicited went straight to Reno’s groin and he bit Tseng’s lip gently, grinding slowly and seductively against the other man’s hips. Reno had never ever felt a more intense sensation of lust as when he heard Tseng’s moan deepen even further and felt the man’s arousal hard against his thigh.

   
 Suddenly unable to hold back anymore Reno dragged his hands away from Tseng’s body and went to work on divesting himself of his own clothing. He was already shirtless and tugging at his stubborn belt when Tseng’s gentle hands reached down and took over the job, sending a frisson of heat through Reno’s stomach. Looking up into Tseng’s face and seeing the look of desire, concern and raw need there turned Reno’s knees to jelly.  While Tseng worked on ridding him of the encumbrance of pants Reno used his considerable experience to free Tseng from the rest of his restricting clothes.

   
Five seconds later Reno was stumbling back towards the bed, dragging Tseng with him and trying to touch the man’s whole body at once. Tripping backwards over the edge of the bed Reno landed on his back with Tseng on top of him and the sudden shock of their lengths sliding together dragged a breathy, needy moan from the redhead. Tingling all over Reno gazed up at Tseng through hooded eyes and slowly, as if his hand was floating Reno reached up behind Tseng’s head to release the Wutaiin’s jet black hair from the tie holding it back. Obsidian hair fell like a curtain and softly brushed Reno’s face as Tseng again caught his lips in a kiss.  
 

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Tseng’s world became blur of touches, kisses and passion that coalesced into crystal clarity for a heart-stopping moment when Reno ground their hips together. Though he built his world around self-control and self-discipline there was no way in hell Tseng could have held back the sound of unadulterated lust that ripped from his throat. The sight of Reno frantically trying to divest himself of his clothing penetrated through the fog of lust in Tseng’s head and the pure eroticism of relieving Reno of his clothes while being undressed himself blanked out all coherent thought until he found himself on top of Reno on the bed.

   
Not having fully clicked that he was totally naked Tseng found himself struggling to breathe when he was suddenly face to face with Reno with the full length of his trembling body pressed against the redhead’s silken skin. The release of his hair from its tie seemed to release Tseng from his temporary paralysis and he drew in a shuddering breath before kissing Reno so completely that they both lost track of time. Tseng only resurfaced when a hand tugged hesitantly at his hair and he looked down to see a mix of lust and anxiety in the aquamarine eyes staring up at him.

   
Pushing himself up to arm’s length and running his gaze over Reno’s pale, leanly muscled limbs Tseng couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of fire and ivory brought together in the Turk he had watched after for so long. Tseng growled Reno’s name in a tone that brought a blush to the other man’s cheeks and a faint alarm in his head made him keep his movements slow as he bent to lay his lips on Reno’s neck. Each gentle nip and suck that Tseng trailed down Reno’s neck and chest pulled a panting moan from the redhead and by the time Tseng languidly circled his tongue around Reno’s navel they were both drowning in need.

   
Finally Tseng was unable to resist any longer and he bent his head to place a long lick from the base of Reno’s cock all the way to the tip. The keening whine that Reno let out sent a shiver of desire through Tseng and with a smirk he lazily wrapped his lips around Reno’s shaft. Sucking gently and flicking his tongue along Reno’s length Tseng discovered that he could do this forever as long Reno would keep making the excruciatingly erotic noises that were falling out of his mouth.

   
An immeasurable amount of time later Tseng felt Reno’s hips jerk beneath him and he hummed low in his throat, speeding up his ministrations. Tseng’s rhythm was interrupted however when Reno brokenly moaned his name and reached down to tug gently at his hair again, pulling him up into a kiss all the more heated for their bodies being melded together. Losing himself in his passion Tseng’s control fractured a little and he moaned into the searing kiss, threading his fingers through the fire-red strands of Reno’s long ponytail.  
 

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The hands running over him were driving Reno crazy and the feel of Tseng’s mouth enclosing his cock set off explosions in his brain. He nearly lost himself completely to the mind-blowing pleasure coursing through his body but he still retained enough self-awareness to stop Tseng before they both lost all control. Sensually Reno dragged Tseng up for another heated kiss but then something happened that made him freeze and let out an involuntary whimper, Tseng’s fingers got caught in his hair and accidentally yanked his head back.

   
The second Reno made his noise of distress he felt the pull on his hair loosen but the panic and residual terror lingered. Desperate not to lose the miraculous thing that was happening to him Reno did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his legs around Tseng’s hips, rolling them both so that he was now straddling the other Turk, looking down at him. The reassuring smile combined with the intense look of longing on Tseng’s face took Reno’s breath away and he felt the dirty, sullied feeling slowly drain away leaving only passion.

   
Suddenly in total control of the situation Reno felt a surge of confidence. With Reno-ish daring that he hadn’t possessed ten seconds earlier he locked eyes with Tseng and agonizingly slowly moved himself down so that his head was level with the other man’s hips. A devilish smile quirked Reno’s lips and he waited until Tseng groaned in helpless frustration before he dipped his head and wrapped his mouth around the man’s rigid cock.

   
Using all his considerable expertise Reno used his tongue and his teeth along with his lips to draw sounds of almost painful ecstasy from the man beneath him. Quickly finding that the head was particularly sensitive Reno licked and nipped and sucked until he felt Tseng’s body start shake and his breath begin to come in harsh pants. Abruptly stopping what he was doing Reno acted almost entirely on muscle-memory and again rolled them both so that this time he was on his stomach underneath the extremely aroused Tseng.  
 

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The eroticism of the sight and sound of Reno’s mouth around his cock nearly shut Tseng’s brain down completely. Brought right to the brink, Tseng suddenly found himself unexpectedly on top again and he growled low in his throat at the undeniably sexy sight of Reno on his stomach, looking over his shoulder at him. Some part of Tseng’s brain was managing to sound an alarm however and he realized that continuing things as they stood was a recipe for a total freakout.

   
Taking a deep breath Tseng slowly manoeuvred his arm under Reno’s chest and lifted him so that they were both kneeling up, with Reno’s back pressed to his front. When Reno looked unsurely at him over his shoulder Tseng placed his mouth right next to the redhead’s ear and purred, ‘I want you to feel all of me against you Reno. I want you in charge because Gaia fuck it you’re driving me insane. Ride me Reno…’

   
Tseng rested his fingertips gently on Reno’s hips and smiled as Reno met his gaze with naked thanks in his eyes. The redhead timidly pressed Tseng back so he was resting on his heels, hips thrust forward and it was all Tseng could do to stay perfectly still as Reno achingly slowly moved backwards. Progress was gradual and by the time Tseng was sheathed deep inside Reno both men were panting breathlessly and dripping with sweat.

   
Determined to keep Reno feeling safe Tseng sat up a little and slid his hands further up the man’s body. Skilled fingers teased heated flesh and the noises coming from Reno took on a frantic edge when Tseng delicately wrapped his arms around his chest and laid a scorching kiss on the pale neck arched next to his mouth. Encouraged by the incoherent moans he was causing Tseng exercised the last of his restraint and thrust shallowly forward provoking the most delectable groan he had ever heard.

   
Tseng’s movement seemed to release something in his partner and the dark-haired man growled in the back of his throat to feel Reno sinuously grinding back against him. Clinging to Reno for dear life Tseng tried set a slow pace but found himself speeding up, meeting Reno thrust for thrust and hearing his own throaty moans mingling with Reno’s more breathless cries.

   
The audio-visual overload combined with the delicious friction of Reno’s skin against his own was pushing Tseng rapidly toward the edge so he dragged his nails down Reno’s chest and wrapped his hand around the redhead’s straining erection. Ignoring the resulting strangled moan Tseng began to pump his hand in time to the movement of his hips, revelling in the increasing abandon with which Reno was moving.

   
The feeling of Reno’s silken heat around him was intoxicating and when Reno stiffened and cried out Tseng knew he couldn’t last any longer. Speeding up the movements of his hand Tseng held Reno to his chest and fucked him in time to their choked moans, feeling Reno’s hot seed in his hand a second before he spent himself deep inside the redhead. A couple more strokes had them both shuddering uncontrollably and knowing that he had barely any strength left himself, Tseng wrapped his arms securely around Reno just as the shaking man collapsed backward onto his chest.  
 

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The sheer exquisite pleasure of lying exhausted next to a warm body almost overwhelmed Reno as he had, over the years, become used to cheap fixes and unsatisfying diversions. The nights in sleazy motels, after hours of drinking, when he didn’t even bother to ask the other person’s name bore as much resemblance to this thing with Tseng as a Sector 8 slum hovel did to an above-plate, Sector 7 mansion.

   
Feeling the reassuring heaviness of Tseng’s arm draped over him and the heat of the man’s body pressed against his back left Reno feeling so secure and safe that unexpected tears pricked at his eyes. Indulging in a rare moment of introspection Reno pondered bewilderedly at the change in his fortunes, as never in a million years would he have dared to imagine that the crush he had had on Tseng for-freaking-ever would be returned with all the passion hidden within the stoic Turk. Utterly unable to sleep, but completely unwilling to move a single inch away from Tseng’s furnace-like heat Reno lithely rolled over underneath Tseng’s arm so that he was face to face with the man and staring into his gently smiling brown eyes.

   
The inner chatterbox that had been the bane of the Turk department since he joined bubbled up once again inside Reno and words began to spill from his mouth with minimal intervention from his brain. Somehow his urge to confess all the feelings he had ever felt translated to, ‘Wow Tseng, you really know how to make a girl feel special yo. Don’t think I’m going to start mooning over you and taking windy walks by the reactor though. So, uh, heh, shit that didn’t come out exactly right… Changing the subject in a really subtle manner yo, what’s happening with Elena and her whole ghost chic thing she’s got going on?’

   
Reno watched the expression on Tseng’s face change from tranquil, to quizzical, to amused and then finally settle on a combination of thoughtful and affectionate. Much to Reno’s relief Tseng chose not to address the first part of his burble, instead saying in a quietly amused voice, ‘You know Elena Reno, she gives her all to everything she does. Technically being dead and working to bring down someone who hurt you seems have brought out her inner devil and I’ve seen for myself that she’s terrified Veld into locking himself in his office. People are wondering if he’s going insane… Well, more insane.’

   
At the sound of Veld’s name Reno still felt a momentary ripple of fear but this was almost immediately eclipsed by a surging wave of savage glee upon hearing of the inhuman Director’s first steps into madness. A feral grin that bordered on a snarl decorating his face Reno growled vehemently, ‘Good. We’ll break the fucking sadistic fuck down until he can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t. Fucker deserves to lose his mind one diseased piece at a time yo.’

   
There was second of silence and when Reno looked up into Tseng’s face he was surprised to see approval and an expression that promised dark vengeance. In a low voice Tseng said, ‘It’s started Reno and we will finish it. For what he did to you Veld will die insane and screaming.’

   
The undertone of violence and savagery in Tseng’s voice could easily have triggered fear for Reno but instead he felt only sense of warmth and security take root in his chest. Hearing that Rufus’ diabolical plan was working fanned the small spark inside Reno that was trying to come back to life. The buoyant feelings rose in the exact opposite direction to his energy levels however and he failed utterly to stifle a jaw-cracking yawn. Trying with decreasing success to stay awake Reno’s eyes blinked repeatedly, staying shut for longer and longer periods each time. Just before the tide of sleep swept him away Reno murmured, ‘I could get used to this yo, feeling safe. I didn’t know it could feel like this.’  
 

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Waking up in the morning with Reno snuggled up against his chest sent feelings through Tseng that he never thought he would allow himself to feel. Seeing the man’s pale arm flung across the lightly tanned skin of his own chest sent a pleasant shiver through Tseng’s body and he mused distractedly that the contrast was truly beautiful. Then Tseng caught sight of Reno’s sleeping face and his breath caught in his throat at just how peaceful and strangely innocent the other man looked, his pain and suffering wiped away by slumber. Tseng discovered that he would be quite happy to spend the rest of his life just lying where he was gazing at Reno.

   
Unfortunately life had other ideas and as Tseng reached out to brush an errant strand of hair from Reno’s face his eyes fell upon the happily blinking digital clock by the bed. All that showed of Tseng’s emotions was a slight twitching of his eyebrow as he determinedly did not explode at the realization that even if he got up right that second he would still probably be late for work. Allowing himself a faint sigh of dissatisfaction Tseng ran his eyes over Reno’s serene face once more before reaching over and gently resting his hand on the man’s shoulder.

   
Reno jerked awake instantly with an immediate look of confusion and fear in his hazy sea-green eyes, but Tseng was ready for this and said in a calm, quiet tone, ‘It’s alright Reno, it’s just me. I wouldn’t have woken you if I had a choice but I know what Scarlet can be like if her workers are late. If you get up now we might just make it with time for a coffee…’

   
The speed at which Reno shot out of bed might have startled Tseng had he not a) been well acquainted with Reno’s swiftness and b) had his breath taken away by the sight of Reno’s very lithe and very naked body. Slowly sitting up on the disarrayed sheets Tseng just couldn’t seem to drag his eyes away from the way Reno’s lean muscles moved smoothly under his ivory skin, the usually controlled Turk unashamedly drinking in the beauty of the distracted redhead.

   
It was only when Reno tried to put both feet into one leg of his trousers and crashed to the ground with a curse that Tseng shook himself out of his trance and got up smoothly to offer his assistance. A smile quirking his lips at Reno’s enthusiastic and inventive cursing Tseng helped his fellow Turk rectify his error while at the same time slipping into his own slightly rumpled uniform. When both men were as presentable as possible Tseng led the way to the kitchen for a turbo-speed coffee before Reno dragged him out the door.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Angsty chapter, but nothing too warning-y. Lol don't get too comfortable though.**

Reno spent two days wrapped in the bliss of being with Tseng, actually _with_ him, before everything came crashing down again. For two whole days Reno lived in a haze, reliving every touch and every kiss he shared with Tseng while he was at work and then going back to the safehouse to all but jump the other Turk as soon as he walked in the door. However despite Tseng seeming to return his feelings just as strongly Reno couldn’t quite banish the feeling that the other shoe was about to drop.

   
The proverbial shoe drop happened on a rainy afternoon when Reno decided to take a break from the laborious clean-up he was cursing his way through in the aftermath of a materia explosion. Sloping down the long hallway to the dingy Weapons Division kitchen Reno was momentarily nonplussed when he arrived at the coffee machine to find a heart-breaking sight. Splatters of burnt coffee fanned out from the bombsite that centered around the still steaming machine. Reno glumly read the note pinned in the middle of the mess that warned, due to risk to life and limb, that anyone reading should not use the broken appliance.

   
Thrown by the disappointment of being denied his life-giving caffeine Reno stood and stared malevolently at the broken coffee machine for a minute before deciding that he would be damned if he would have a break without his habitual dark, bitter brew of coffee. His thoughts still a little foggy because of the unexpected Tseng-based goodness that had turned his life upside down Reno decided to take a small risk and raid the kitchen in the next building over, Gengineering. Although Reno had promised, as part of the agreement with Rufus for him to return to work, that he would stay strictly in the Weapons building the redhead was too distracted in the moment to remember what he had agreed too.  
 

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Rufus didn’t know it, but his plan to take down Veld was already succeeding beyond all expectations. Since his first run in with the spectre of Elena something had become unhinged in Veld’s already twisted mind and the whispers instigated by Vincent had only served to exacerbate the Turk Director’s mental deterioration. Driven by fear of the ghost of the woman he thought he had sent to her death Veld spent increasingly long periods of time locked in his office and when he emerged he usually shot out of the Turk headquarters at high speed in his rush to get away from the haunted halls.

   
Somewhere that Veld found himself hiding out more and more was the mostly empty halls of the Gengineering building, a place shunned by most members of the Turks. On this particular day, his misfiring brain echoing with the sound of the rain on the windows, Veld escaped to the Gengineering labs around lunchtime in an attempt to pull himself together. Peace and escape were quickly forgotten however when Veld rounded a corner and locked eyes with the last person he expected to see; Reno.  
 

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Reno had been walking through the winding corridors thinking about what he would do to Tseng when he got home and as a result his reactions were ever so slightly slower than their usual lightning speed. When the red haired Turk turned a corner in the featureless corridors and found himself staring at the man who haunted his dreams he froze for a fateful second before stumbling back a step, unable to make his legs work properly. Feeling like he had strayed into a nightmare Reno tried to summon the strength to just fucking run.

   
Veld however had no such moment of hesitation. As Reno’s eyes widened in terror and his feet tangled beneath him a throwing knife materialized in Veld’s hand and in a split second was blurring through to air to bury itself in Reno’s left shoulder. The force and the pain of the impact sent Reno staggering backward into the wall and then Veld was on him, one large hand gripping his throat to stop his voice and the other wrapped around the knife handle, pushing the blade deeper.

   
Barely able to breathe around the tight squeeze of Veld’s finger’s Reno futilely scrabbled at the Turk Director’s wrist as the man snarled, ‘I don’t know where you’ve been slumrat, but you shouldn’t have come back. I’m going to end this right here and Gaia knows I’m going to enjoy watching you choke on your own blood.’

   
As Veld twisted the knife embedded in his flesh Reno tried to scream but all that came out was a raspy whisper and he could clearly see his own death written in the other man’s muddy brown eyes. Then suddenly, when Veld’s mouth twitched into a demonic parody of a grin, an idea rushed into Reno’s mind and with a burst of strength he wrenched the man’s hand away from his throat long enough to rasp, ‘Gaia’s love, is that Elena? What the fuck, s-she’s dead!’

   
Reno’s ploy worked better than he had any right to hope and he nearly collapsed to the floor when Veld’s eyes filled with panic and he spun around as if he had just been prodded with an EMR. Gathering every last scrap of strength left in his trembling body Reno took full advantage of his one chance and took off with the full speed that he was renowned for. In the time it took Veld to realize he had been tricked and whip back around, Reno was already vanishing around the corner like a red blur.  
 

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Rude stared down at the final, well, second to final, bout of the tournament with a mixture of satisfaction and admiration. The quality of the fighters had surpassed all of Rude’s already high expectations and the group of selected warriors sitting around him were a formidable group. It was only when Yuffie nudged him meaningfully in the ribs that Rude realized the final fight was almost over and it was nearly his turn to cement the loyalty of his new team.

   
The crowd roared as one of the fighters in the arena finally hit the ground and unwillingly gave the signal of capitulation, the winner briefly raising their hand in victory before helping his vanquished opponent to his feet. For a second Rude silently appreciated the close bond between the fighters regardless of the outcome of the fight but then he was jolted out of his thoughts when Yuffie nudged him hard and whispered that it was now time. Climbing to his feet Rude paused when his action silenced the crowd but he tried to ignore the hush and made his way down to the arena.

   
Nervousness was a rather unaccustomed feeling for Rude but he was definitely feeling a touch on the anxious side by the time he came to a stop in the middle of the arena. Glancing around the sea of faces staring down at him Rude caught a glimpse of Yuffie wildly mugging and waving and strangely enough the sight broke his tension. Marshaling what little powers of speech he had Rude thought once more through his planned words.

   
Making use of the resonant voice he hardly ever exercised Rude boomed, ‘People of Shadowtree, you have welcomed me to the heart of your resistance, you’ve saved my life and I will forever be grateful. You have agreed to send a strike force across the sea to fight with me to take down a monster, and as your princess has said so eloquently now it is my turn to prove to you that I am warrior enough to lead them. Shadowtree, present your champion.’

   
The uproarious applause in response to Rude’s short speech made the man blink in surprise behind his ever-present sunglasses and a small smile flickered across his normally impassive face. Then the roar of the crowd took on a pulsing, chanting quality and Rude gazed across the arena at the figure walking towards him. Nerving himself for this final hurdle in his mission to secure Rufus’ team Rude lifted his chin and stepped forward to meet his challenger.

   
Rude knew he shouldn’t have been surprised given Yuffie’s obvious high standing in the resistance but he still could help gaping for a moment at the graceful, slender woman walking towards him. When she reached him the female warrior smiled a beautifully lazy smile that made Rude shut his mouth with a snap and got him as close as he had ever come to blushing. Looking the woman over Rude quickly got his head back in the game as his opponent was nothing but lean grace and sleek, powerful muscle.

   
Upon reaching Rude, the woman briefly inclined her head in a gesture of respect before saying in a voice like liquid melody, ‘I am Kioko, second in command of the resistance armies and I am to be your trial by combat. Rude of the Turks, your deeds have earned you our thanks and Gaia willing your victory will win our swords.’

   
As Kioko’s words echoed around the arena Rude stepped back into a low fighting stance and the crowd bellowed as Kioko did the same. In the short hush before the battle began Rude took the opportunity to properly study Kioko and he decided that he liked what he saw. Kioko stood almost a full head shorter than Rude but still towered over most of the diminutive Wutaiins. Her hair was caught up in a ponytail that trailed to the small of her back and under her blunt fringe Rude could see that Kioko’s eyes were the same strange purple as Yuffie’s. Then the combat bell rang and Rude’s focus narrowed to a pinpoint.

   
Based solely on a pang of intuition Rude had braced for a formidable opening attack and he was definitely not disappointed. With two swift steps and a graceful bound Kioko was on Rude like a Kalm Wolf on its prey and despite his experience and moment of premonition Rude was hard pressed to parry the barrage of punches that flew unerringly towards his face. It took all of Rude’s skill for him to knock the woman off balance long enough to mount a counter attack.

   
Giving Kioko the respect of not pulling any punches Rude hammered a punishing blow onto her raised guard and when her defenses dropped by a fraction of an inch he threw a vicious hook that would have dropped her where she stood had it connected. Instead of just standing there to be KO’d however Kioko moved with the original impact and spun as she sunk into a crouch, whipping her leg around to send Rude tumbling to the ground. Luckily Rude was able to roll smoothly backwards upon hitting the dirt, as a hard kick slammed down raising a puff of dust where he had been a moment before.

   
In a desperate gamble, using a move he hadn’t had to employ in years, Rude resorted to launching himself at Kioko and catching her around the waist, using his brute strength to tackle her to the ground. The unorthodox assault meant that Kioko had no time to evade Rude and to the cheers of the crowd the two warriors rolled in the dry dust, each struggling for dominance. Having taken his challenger’s measure from her actions so far, Rude was unsurprised to find that trying to pin Kioko down was like trying to hold onto a handful of smoke.

   
Blocking a strike that could have broken his jaw Rude rolled to the side and gained himself half a second of thinking space. Painfully aware that it was possible he was utterly outclassed in this critical fight, Rude pulled out all the stops and braced himself when Kioko darted towards him, ducking under her punch and striking out with an unusual combination that Reno had taught him years ago. The flurry of lightning fast techniques was unexpected enough that Kioko was caught by surprise and a spinning back-fist strike hammered into her ribs, sending her staggering back a step.

   
Oblivious to the thundering applause and screaming of the crowd Rude dashed forward to follow up on his advantage, his first and last mistake. As Rude closed in on Kioko who appeared to be in pain from the impact of his full-strength blow he thought to end the fight by feinting with his left hand and then sending a thunderous hook hurtling towards the woman’s temple. Subsequent events moved so fast that it was only when Rude was lying on his face in the dust that his brain caught up with what happened.

   
As Rude’s fist flew through the air Kioko’s eyes glinted and she moved quicker than a striking snake, sliding to the inside of Rude’s arm close enough for the displaced air to ruffle her fringe. Kioko stopped Rude’s punch with a solid block with her left hand while at the same time slamming the heel of her right hand into Rude’s jaw. Not stopping as her strike snapped Rude’s head back, Kioko followed through with the motion landing an elbow on the point of Rude’s chin before reversing the motion and smashing Rude to the ground with a knifehand strike to the back of the neck, pulling the blow just enough to avoid breaking his neck.

   
All of Kioko’s counter-attack took place in less than three seconds and there was dead silence from the watching audience before a roar went up that sent birds screeching from the surrounding forest. Lying beaten on the floor of the arena Rude closed his eyes in despair for a fleeting second before looking up and seeing Kioko’s offered hand. Helped to his feet by his smiling opponent Rude forced his face into its usual expressionless mask as Kioko began to speak.

   
The spectators quieted as Kioko’s voice once again echoed in the air and as the woman talked Rude’s eyes grew wide and he couldn’t hide his expression of astonishment. Kioko didn’t sound breathless or even slightly ruffled as she said, ‘People of Shadowtree, my people, you all bore witness to our fight. The man who would lead your best warriors across the sea unflinchingly fought for his cause and although he was beaten, well, you all know that until now no one has lasted more than two minutes in the ring with me. It is my judgement that, having stood against me for nearly ten full minutes of combat, Rude of the Turks has proven himself more than worthy to command our fighters for his cause.’

   
Completely unable to maintain an impassive expression Rude gaped like an idiot as Kioko turned back to him and solemnly bowed to show her respect. Then the world exploded into chaos as, led by a whooping Yuffie, the jubilant crowd abandoned their seats and rushed into the arena to express their approval and general joy. Mobbed by grinning resistance members Rude let out an inaudible sigh of relief when Kioko moved to stand next to him, the woman silently offering support to the visibly overawed Turk. Then when the celebration reached fever pitch Rude found himself thanking Gaia for perceptive women as Kioko beckoned to him and they slipped away into the forest.  
 

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Stumbling through the door of the safehouse and slamming it behind himself Reno tripped on his own feet and all but fell into the chair by the table. Sucking in shuddering lungfuls of air Reno tried to form a coherent thought through the howling, almost incapacitating terror that filled him. In the calming silence of the house Reno gradually managed to regain a small amount of self-possession and he unwillingly looked down at his shoulder to gauge the extent of the damage Veld’s knife had done.

   
It was only when he removed his hand and actually saw the severity of his wound that the pain broke through the adrenaline that blanketed Reno’s brain. Abruptly Reno felt a wave of dizziness sweep over him and he fought grimly stay conscious, determined that Tseng would not come home to find him bled out on the kitchen floor. When the draining light-headedness finally ebbed a little Reno yanked his phone out of his pocket and hurriedly dialed a number while his head was still relatively clear.

   
It wasn’t even fifteen minutes later when a knock sounded at the door but by then Reno was teetering at the edge of blacking out, clutching at the table so hard his fingers were white. Tapping into strength he didn’t know he had Reno lurched to his feet and over to the door, his Turk instincts operating his body without intervention from his brain and making him pull out and prime his EMR. Leaning against the wood in an attempt to gather himself Reno growled as harshly as he could, ‘Who the fuck is it yo?’

   
The muffled voice on the other side of the door identified itself and Reno allowed himself a tiny prayer of thanks to Gaia. Fumbling in his pocket Reno extracted a handful of gil and he opened the door just enough to exchange the money for what the courier outside had brought. Closing and locking the door again without another word and flicking off his EMR Reno looked at the small round ball in his hand, examining the horribly expensive but unfortunately necessary Cure materia he had acquired. From his years in the slums Reno knew that there were huge risks to buying materia on the street, but this time he had no choice as stealing a Cure from the Turk supplies would definitely draw attention.

   
A feeling of weakness in his knees alerted Reno to the fact that he better do something about his condition right away and he broke off his inspection of the glowing green sphere. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get himself up the stairs to the bathroom Reno staggered precariously through to the lounge and propped himself up on the couch, trying to avoid getting blood on the cushions. Taking a deep breath and jamming the leather-wrapped end of his EMR between him teeth Reno tried to prepare himself for what was to come.

   
Before he could chicken out Reno held the materia ready in his left hand and with his right hand he wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the knife in his shoulder. Sinking his teeth into the makeshift gag Reno pulled the knife smoothly from his flesh and clapped the Cure to the wound in a single movement, letting out a strangled scream of agony as pain exploded through him. Dropping the knife to the floor Reno concentrated all his energy on not blacking out.

   
Then things got exponentially worse as the Cure, instead of glowing a soothing green as it sunk into Reno’s skin, lit up the room with a strange, sickly yellow light before being absorbed into his body. Trying not to panic, too weak to do anything more than hope that the obviously defective materia didn’t kill him, Reno took one shuddering breath and then the pain hit like a freight train and hurled him into unconsciousness. As Reno lay limp on the sofa the weird yellow light enveloped him completely before winking out as if it had never been.

   
When Reno sluggishly surfaced from his borderline coma two hours after he stumbled in through the door, the first thing that hit him was definitely not the usual afterglow that came after using a Cure. At the same time he became aware of a throbbing ache in his shoulder Reno remembered the last thing he saw before he passed out, the abnormal and worrying colour of the materia magic. With a clear feeling of dread making his heart sink Reno looked down at his shoulder, hoping against hope that something, anything would just go his way.

   
Pulling his bloodstained shirt out of the way Reno coughed out a harsh curse of shock and disbelief. Normally a Cure would take a short time to completely heal an open wound and replenish lost blood, but this time it was blindingly obvious to Reno that the Cure he had bought from the black market had been extremely defective. Although the injury had been healed, a thick patch of scar tissue that resembled a spider web scrawled from Reno’s collarbone to the point of his shoulder, radiating a deep ache from its center. Staring in horror at the shockingly large and utterly conspicuous scar Reno sat in stunned stillness, only able to think of how there was no way he could hide this from Tseng.

   
Stillness was an alien thing to Reno regardless of his condition and soon he was on his feet, wobbly but determined to get upstairs and come up with some way of fixing this complete fuck up. The main driving thought behind Reno’s agitation was the completely plausible fear that if Tseng found out that Veld had seen him, let alone hurt him, then he would find himself locked in the safehouse under twenty four hour guard. By the time Reno had struggled up the stairs with Veld’s knife clutched in his hand he had to lean on the wall to catch his breath. His agile mind having already discarded numerous unfeasible plans Reno finally settled on the one scheme he thought might have a chance of keeping him in the Weapons labs.

   
Doggedly forcing his legs to keep moving Reno limped into his bedroom and set to work removing his ruined jacket and shirt. Hanging the garments over a chair so the blood didn’t get on anything else Reno shoved the knife under some clothes and rummaged in the wardrobe for a bag he had brought from his apartment with the rest of his stuff, a well hidden bag that he could possibly be shot for having. Finally pulling the small bag from out of the crap that filled his wardrobe Reno opened it and carefully extracted one each of his secretly hoarded Destruct and Shield materia.

   
A busy ten minutes of setup left Reno with a dizzily spinning head but he knew that he couldn’t spare the time to sit down and recover because if Tseng arrived home before he was finished he was well and truly fucked. For the final part of his cover up Reno carried his shirt and jacket into the bathroom along with the materia and with painstaking precision he arranged the Destruct materia on the clothes and prepared himself for split second timing. It was only Reno’s speed allowed him to trigger the Destruct and then activate the Shield around it in time to avoid blowing up the clothes, the bathroom and himself.

   
Reno wasn’t sure just how it happened but somehow he managed to struggle into his now extremely damaged uniform and make it back downstairs to collapse on the couch. Completely at the end of his energy and endurance Reno sent an abject plea to Gaia that he had done enough for Tseng to buy his deception. Almost as an afterthought to the entreaty Reno attached a prayer of gratitude to Gaia for the materia explosion earlier in the day that provided him his only avenue of hiding Veld’s most recent attack from Tseng and also from Rufus.  
 

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Tseng had endured a very strange day, so strange that it had disconcerted even the rigidly controlled Wutaiin Turk. His morning had been normal, rewriting mission parameters for five missions that had been screwed up by a junior clerk, but Tseng’s afternoon shot straight to verging on the surreal. Tseng had just been in the process of bringing his small lunch back to his desk when he had heard a loud slam from the direction of Veld's office that was followed by the muffled sound of shouting and crashing. Now, at last on his way back to the safehouse, Tseng finally had the space to breathe out.

   
It was when he reached out to open the door that Tseng got his first inkling that something was wrong, his sharp eyes spotting a miniscule splattering of blood on the front doorstep. Harshly locking down every emotion that screamed at him to burst rashly into the house Tseng pulled his gun from its holster and racked the slide as quietly as possible before cautiously testing the door handle to see if it was locked. His heart in his throat as he fumbled to unlock the door Tseng slid silently into the still house.

   
More blood on the floor and the kitchen chair ratcheted Tseng’s unease up another notch and he paused a second to listen and try and determine if there was someone in the house that shouldn’t be. Tseng’s highly trained senses informed him that there was a single person in the house, in the lounge in fact, and even as his brain identified the person’s breathing as either asleep or unconscious Tseng was moving smoothly forward. Though he privately considered himself almost unshakable Tseng felt his knees go weak and his breathing hitched as he rounded the corner into the lounge to see Reno’s bloodied form on the couch.

   
Even though his brain ground to a halt and his heart lurched in his chest Tseng was over at Reno’s side in an instant, falling to his knees by the sofa and reaching out to lay his fingers on the pulse point on Reno’s neck. In the breathless moment before his brain registered the beat of Reno’s heart Tseng’s gaze flickered over the blood-splatter that covered most of Reno’s torso before focusing on the man’s tattered and blackened left shoulder. Reno’s heartbeat pulsed through the tips of Tseng’s fingers and elicited an explosive exhale, the faint beat reassuring Tseng that Reno was at least alive.

   
The knowledge that Reno’s heart was still beating allowed Tseng to clamp down on the wave of fear that was bubbling in his chest and with his emotions tightly locked down he was able to properly study Reno’s shoulder. Tseng’s deep brown eyes widened when he comprehended the severity of the materia blast that would have had to have happened to result in the charred mess of blood and shredded fabric and though he seriously didn’t want to the Turk gently pulled back Reno’s uniform to assess the true damage. The sight of the silvery, gnarled scar that marred Reno’s pale skin shook Tseng badly despite his legendary restraint and he let out a whispered oath.

   
His own voice echoing in the silence of the room brought Tseng back to some semblance of lucidity and he jerked into action, fumbling in his pocket for the pouch of authorized materia he kept on his person at all times. Forcing his hands to be steady so as not to jolt the potentially touchy spheres Tseng withdrew a glowing Cure materia and moving with a firm confidence that he really didn’t feel pressed the green sphere into the middle of Reno’s chest. In the endless pause between the application of the materia and its effects beginning to show Tseng tried to even out his breathing so that he wasn’t hyperventilating when Reno finally woke up.

   
It only took a matter of ten seconds for the Cure to take effect and Tseng couldn’t help closing his eyes briefly and sighing with relief when Reno groaned faintly. Taking a second to erase any hint of emotion from his face Tseng sat back on his heels and stared intently at Reno as the redhead stirred and he didn’t move as Reno’s eyes fluttered open and his foggy sea-green eyes gazed at the ceiling bewilderedly. It was only when Reno’s eyes wandered over to settle on his face that Tseng moved and then it was only to fold his arms impassively.

   
Tseng continued to stare at Reno as awareness seeped into the man’s eyes and when he judged that Reno’s mind was functioning adequately he said in a voice of forced calm, ‘What happened to you Reno? And why are you here instead of the medical ward?’

   
The painful rasp of Reno’s voice had Tseng resisting the urge to flinch as the redhead croaked, ‘Sorry Bossman… Materia explosion at the lab yo. I couldn’t go to medical… Fuck Tseng, medical’s too close to him yo. I c-couldn’t…’

   
Reno’s uncharacteristic tone of submission and apology put a huge crack in Tseng’s detached façade and when the other man’s voice quivered and almost broke Tseng just couldn’t keep it up. Letting out a breath that was almost a sigh Tseng moved forward until he was right next to the couch and ran the tips of his fingers gently down Reno’s cheek. In a much softer tone that didn’t bother concealing an element of vulnerability Tseng murmured, ‘I’m sorry Reno, I didn’t think. It… It scared me though, walking in to see you like this. I thought I was too late…’

   
The guilt and remorse shining clearly in Reno’s eyes made Tseng immediately regret his words and he watched as Reno struggled up into a sitting position. As Reno went to open his mouth Tseng stopped him with a raised hand and said, ‘No, you shouldn’t look like you're about to apologize for something that wasn’t your fault. How are you feeling Reno? Has that Cure had a chance to work properly?’

   
Nodding gingerly Reno looked down at his ruined jacket and as he went to inspect the injury to his shoulder Tseng made a pained sound and reached up quickly to catch his hand in mid-air. In a tone of atypical hesitance Tseng said, ‘Reno… Your wound… Something must have gone really wrong with whatever materia exploded on you. The Cure I applied fixed you for the most part… But there’s… It left a scar on your shoulder that the Cure couldn’t erase.’

   
Tseng watched an indecipherable look flicker across Reno’s face before the man narrowed his eyes and pulled his hand away. A frown on his usually tranquil face Tseng could only look on as Reno yanked his trashed jacket and shirt down over his shoulder before sucking in a sharp breath as he caught sight of the lumpy, twisted scar tissue. Tseng managed to hold onto his self-control until he saw the fleeting but discernible expression of disgust that quirked Reno’s lips in a snarl and at that point he quietly snapped, sliding smoothly up onto the couch and pulling Reno into an embrace in a single swift motion.  
 

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Waking from unconsciousness to see Tseng staring at him in his trademark terrifying fashion sent a chill through Reno that strangely enough made it easier for him to act confused and foggy. The flatness and lack of emotion in Tseng’s voice as he asked him why he wasn’t in the medical ward felt like a punch to the gut for Reno but he hid it as well as he could and managed to rasp out the cover story he had come up with. A part of Reno’s mind mused randomly that his acting skills must be second to none, but the majority of his brain was occupied with beating himself up for causing the anguished look on Tseng’s face.

   
When Tseng reached out to touch his face Reno had to hold himself tightly in check so as to not lunge forward and cling to the other man, but then Tseng whispered his apology and a fierce bolt of shame and self-loathing momentarily took Reno’s breath away. Attempting to divert attention from the guilt that he was sure was stamped on his face Reno awkwardly maneuvered himself until he was sitting up, masking the pain the action caused him. Feeling the strain of the extended silence Reno went to speak but Tseng beat him to it.

   
Unable to speak in the wake of Tseng’s oblique apology Reno could only nod to let the other man know that the Cure had definitely taken effect. Futilely wanting to postpone the moment, but knowing that his cover story demanded it, Reno reluctantly turned his gaze to his aching shoulder and attempted to convey a sense of trepidation and morbid curiosity. Reno was so focused on maintaining his act that he nearly swallowed his tongue when Tseng’s hand flashed up to seize his fingers before he could touch his injury.

   
Reno only barely managed to cover the jolt of fear that shot through him as Tseng spoke haltingly, the voice in the back of his mind cutting in to tell him he’d been snapped before he comprehended what the other man was actually saying. On top of the fear that his deception had been uncovered Reno shuddered as Tseng once again physically restrained him and he yanked his hand away with a grimace. The frown on Reno’s face quickly turned to an expression of revulsion and dismay as he saw that Tseng’s genuine Cure had done nothing to fix the prominent scar and then he went motionless as he was suddenly caught in Tseng’s arms.

   
A little bit of Reno’s inner storm broke through his own defenses and as Tseng hugged him tight he muttered bitterly, ‘Fucked up again huh? Don’t know why you keep me around yo. Dammit Bossman, when are you going to realize that I’m more trouble than I’m worth? I mean how many gil’s worth of Cure have you wasted cleaning up after me? Have you ever considered that I’m just too fucking fucked for this yo?’

   
As the words left his lips Reno snapped his mouth shut and pulled away from Tseng, cursing himself seven ways from Saturday for blurting out way more than he meant to. Moving to push himself up from the sofa to go somewhere, anywhere else, Reno froze when Tseng’s voice broke the silence. Pain and pleading evident in every word Tseng whispered, ‘You’re wrong Reno, so wrong. I just don’t know how to make you believe it…’

   
Reno’s self-loathing cycled around in a full three sixty, intensifying ten-fold because he was the one who made Tseng sound so tortured and desperate. Sinking back onto the sofa but unable to look at Tseng Reno gave up on holding back and snarled, ‘You can’t make me believe it yo, I’m not worth the dirt on your shoe. For some reason you’ve decided to think otherwise but that doesn’t make you right. I mean come on yo, be honest, I may have made it into the Turks but I’ll always be a no good, fuck-up slumrat.’  
 

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Tseng wasn’t used to blurting out his inner feelings left, right and centre but with Reno it seemed that his vaunted self-discipline simply vanished like smoke in the wind. Getting as close as he ever got to panic when Reno pulled away and made as if to leave Tseng could barely marshal the powers of speech to wretchedly deny Reno’s words. Hating himself for not being able to articulate exactly how dead wrong he thought Reno was, Tseng felt a momentary lift when Reno sank back down that lasted until Reno’s harsh voice broke the silence.

   
Every word that Reno spat out chipped a little piece off of Tseng’s heart and he cursed himself for being an execrable waste of oxygen and grey-matter. Having long prided himself on his perceptiveness and insight Tseng simply couldn’t believe that Reno had been hiding such a deep-seated, fundamental fracture of self the whole nine years he had known the gregarious redhead. Momentarily lost in the murk of self-recrimination Tseng was jerked back to himself when he realized that Reno’s breath was hitching and he had been silent for a long time.

   
Something went click in Tseng’s head at the soul-deep pain that screamed from every line of Reno’s body and like flicking a switch he separated himself from the storm that raged inside him. Grimly acknowledging that he was no use to Reno if he was at the mercy of his own emotions Tseng reclaimed the self-discipline he had spent years building and he used the interval of a single long breath to centre himself. Determined to be of some Gaia-damned use to the man he only wanted to protect Tseng quickly reviewed his options.

   
Holding himself rigidly in check Tseng reached out and turned Reno’s chin so that the other man was, however reluctantly, looking him in the eye. In a voice that was calm and showed none of his former instability Tseng said softly, ‘I’m sorry Reno. As your direct superior I should have known that something was very wrong and yet despite priding myself on observation and deduction I was as oblivious as anyone. I…’

   
Despite his stranglehold on himself Tseng’s voice wavered for a second, but he quickly got it under control and continued, ‘I will work to be someone you know you can trust Reno. And I… Dammit Reno, I will do anything and everything I have to make you understand that you’re nothing, _nothing_ like how you see yourself.’

   
Not wanting to push his luck but unwilling to leave Reno with the look of painful doubt he currently had on his face Tseng allowed the expression on his own face to soften slightly and he brushed the ghost of a kiss across the man’s lips. For a long moment Tseng thought that Reno was just going to push him away and vanish, but then a slender hand covered his and he felt the redhead lightly return the kiss before pulling away. His heart beating harder than he was prepared to admit Tseng searched Reno’s face for any hint of the brash, audacious man he knew had to be in there somewhere.

   
As Reno stared back at him glassily, too many emotions in his eyes to name, Tseng decided that he had to do something drastic to break the tension and he said briskly, ‘Okay, now we’ve had our daily angst, you need some food to make sure that Cure gets you back into operational condition. No one else in Midgar has or ever will hear me say this, but come through to the kitchen and I’ll cook you something that has helped me recover after many missions, Wutaiin dumplings called jiaozi.’

   
In the back of his mind Tseng breathed a tiny sigh of relief as his out of character ‘mother duck’ routine brought Reno back to the world and made the man gape at him wordlessly. Moving thoughtfully and as non-threateningly as possible Tseng helped the still weak Reno up off the couch and together they wobbled through to the kitchen table. After making sure Reno wasn’t going to pass out and fall off his chair Tseng slid smoothly into the kitchen and competently and efficiently cooked up a dish that filled the house with a wonderful smell.  
 

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Slipping through the shadowed forest like a couple of ghosts Rude and Kioko kept moving until the sounds of Shadowtree celebrating faded into a distant murmur. Flitting through the trees in tandem the pair slowed to a stop when they reached a clearing some distance from the stadium that was brightly lit by the gibbous moon. Leaning against a tree with a sigh and sliding down until he was sitting at the base of the trunk Rude glanced over at Kioko as she did the same.

   
Rude had been doing pretty well until the realization suddenly hit him that he was alone, in a hauntingly lovely moonlit wood, with a breathtakingly beautiful woman. As most his life had been spent either in the company of the close-knit family of the Turks or completely on his own Rude was suddenly swamped by the feeling of being utterly out of his depth. Slightly overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensation of panic Rude floundered behind his impassive mask for something to say.

   
It was possible that Rude was the luckiest being on Gaia right at that moment for Kioko was able to see right through his façade and she took pity on him, smiling and saying easily, ‘So Mr Turk, I’m guessing that you’re not one for crowds or mindless chatter. I know that you have been spending a lot of time with my charming, if overenthusiastic niece so I’m slightly surprised that she isn’t at the bottom of the lake tied to a concrete block. I must say that I greatly admire your patience and restraint.’

   
Surprised into a chuckle that completely broke the tension Rude offered a genuine, if small smile and responded, ‘Yuffie’s lucky that self-control is what I’m known for, it was close a couple of times though. Then again I have a sneaking suspicion that, if her family is anything to go by, she could probably hang me upside down from a tree without breaking a sweat.’

   
As Reno was the one who usually played the part of quick-witted smartarse when they were together Rude was pleasantly astonished when Kioko burst out laughing and leaned back against the tree shaking her head in mirth. Once she was over her laughing fit Kioko glanced over and looked Rude straight in the eye with a solemn expression saying earnestly, ‘All joking aside though, I meant what I said to the crowd Rude. You are a fighter of the highest caliber and every warrior selected is privileged to follow you into battle.’

   
Caught off-guard by the lightning fast change of pace Rude blinked and in a rare unguarded moment blurted out, ‘Gaia save me, I shouldn’t even be leading a chocobo herd Kioko. I’ve always been the muscle, that’s what I do… How can I even pretend to know what I’m doing when I’m taking the best of your warriors away from their own fight? I’m not a natural leader like Tseng my boss or smart like my partner Reno… I don’t know if I’m good enough to command your fighters and bring them back alive.’

   
Trailing off into silence and realizing just how much he had revealed to a woman he had met only hours before Rude snapped his mouth shut and looked away, taking a deep steadying breath. There was a moment of silence and then Kioko spoke again, her voice full of understanding and warmth as she said, ‘I respectfully disagree with your assessment Rude, I can think of no better leader for this mission. Along with the other warriors in your squad I will be honored to be travelling with and fighting alongside you.’

   
Absolutely everything about Kioko’s statement stunned Rude, but the thing that struck him speechless was that she, the second in command of the whole resistance, planned to temporarily forsake her own people and cause to go with him back to Midgar. It also came as quite a shock to the inherently solitary Rude when he realized that he actually liked the no-nonsense warrior woman a lot, loneliness having been a way of life for him for so long that he barely knew how to be otherwise. Deep in thought and blindsided by his own much repressed emotions Rude almost forgot he wasn’t alone in the clearing.

Rude was abruptly brought back to the here and now when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and he glanced over to see Kioko stretch widely and rise gracefully to her feet. Pulling himself together Rude got to his feet in a gesture of courtesy that had been hammered into him by his mother as a child and he managed a small half-smile as Kioko stepped forward. Then Kioko brought Rude’s world to a grinding halt by confidently and without hesitation stopping briefly in front of him and laying a light kiss on his cheek.

   
Mouth hanging open and disbelief scrawled all over his face Rude stared after Kioko as she strolled away. The woman’s melodic voice drifted back to Rude and her voice contained more than a hint a promise as she called, ‘You should get some sleep you know. We have a lot to organize and I look forward to getting to know you better Rude of the Turks.’


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: No real warnings for this chapter and hopefully I'll get the next one done and up shortly :)**

Tseng was eyeball deep in weapons maintenance reports when he suddenly became aware of the unmistakable feeling of eyes on him. Inwardly berating himself for his lack of vigilance Tseng snapped his gaze up and was slightly unnerved to see Rufus standing in the doorway, watching him with an inscrutable expression on his face. As Tseng stared at the son of Shinra and tried to quell a rather alien feeling of trepidation, Rufus stepped smoothly into his office and quietly shut the door behind himself.

   
As usual Rufus was brisk and to the point saying abruptly, ‘My daily walk that just so happens to take me past the materia labs revealed something interesting today Tseng. Would you care to tell me why I found a conspicuous lack of Reno in the Weapons building this morning?’

   
His heart sinking in his chest Tseng kicked himself for being so scatter-brained as to forget to report Reno’s accident and he shoved himself out of his chair to stand to attention. In a rigidly controlled voice Tseng replied, ‘I must apologize for my inexcusable lapse Sir. Yesterday Reno was injured in a materia explosion in the labs. I found him back at the safehouse in a serious condition and when he was able to talk he told me he didn’t go to the medical wing because he thought he might come into contact with Veld.’

   
Remembering the chilling sight of Reno’s still form that had greeted him when he got home Tseng paused and tightened his grip on himself, not willing to break in front of Rufus. With no inflection in his voice Tseng continued, ‘It was bad Sir, if I’d been any later I don’t know if the Cure would have worked. Even with my intervention he’ll still bear a scar from it, the materia must have interacted in some strange way when they exploded. Sir… Rufus… In my opinion we’re once again lucky to still have Reno with us. He isn’t in the labs today because I had to order him to stay at the safehouse and recuperate before I’d allow him back to work.’

   
Falling silent Tseng stared a point just above Rufus’ head and he kept his face impassive as he waited for the axe to fall. Rufus’ reaction however provoked a surprised blink out of Tseng as he simply cleared his throat and said blandly, ‘I would have made the same call Tseng, Reno sometimes needs encouragement to look after himself. Thank you for appraising me of the current situation, I think I will make a quick visit shortly just to make sure that Reno is in fact taking care of himself. As you were Tseng.’

   
As Rufus vanished with the same eerie suddenness that he had appeared Tseng gradually let his muscles relax and he fell back into his chair with a loud exhalation. No matter how many times Tseng reported to Rufus and even after the more informal meetings to discuss the Veld situation, he still went away feeling like Rufus had left with more of his inner thoughts than he wanted to reveal. Still feeling a little unsettled but knowing he had a craptonne of work to get through Tseng pushed away everything else and buried himself in the reports in front of him.  
 

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The door to Tseng’s office clicked shut behind him and Rufus stood in the hallway, deep in thought about the story he had just heard. Having spent a lifetime honing his skills as essentially a human lie detector, Rufus had trained all of his attention on Tseng as the man made his report and though he hadn’t sensed even the hint of a lie in Tseng’s voice Rufus still couldn’t shake the persistent feeling that had stuck with him ever since seeing the empty labs; that some serious shit had gone down that he was sorely ignorant of. Scowling at the ceiling Rufus swore inwardly as there was nothing he hated more than lacking crucial information.

   
Twenty minutes after exiting Tseng’s office Rufus was walking up the steps to the house that was currently Reno’s home. Taking a second at the front door to straighten his impeccable suit Rufus then rapped briskly on the dark wood and waited for Reno to answer. A moment later when Reno’s voice sounded through the door asking for identification Rufus narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips suspiciously as Reno sounded like he had swallowed a handful of razorblades. Brusquely snapping out his name and ID number Rufus waited for the door to open and then strode inside.

   
Although his calculatedly tranquil face didn’t show it, Rufus was deeply shaken by Reno’s appearance as the redhead Turk closed the door and turned to face him. Rufus’ sharp blue eyes took in the pallor of Reno’s face and the way the man’s once brazen gaze refused to meet his own and the thought flashed through his mind that Reno looked much like he had in the immediate aftermath of Veld’s ‘session’. Dead certain that Reno was hiding something serious Rufus wordlessly gestured to the lounge and set his scarily intense focus on uncovering the truth.  
 

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In the time after Tseng left for work Reno had all but collapsed in the lounge, drained beyond belief at the effort it took to keep up the façade that he was simply recovering from a fluke accident as opposed to yet another attempt on his life by Veld. As he lay sprawled on the cushions staring at the ceiling Reno probed his aching shoulder absently and let out a hiss as he unwittingly jabbed the centre of the web of scar tissue. Shutting his eyes as he battled emotions that swung from bitterness to anger to guilt and back again, Reno’s eyes flew open again when he heard an unexpected knock on the door.

   
The unanticipated sound served the purpose of knocking some Reno back into Reno and in an instant he was on his feet with his EMR in his hand. The effect was slightly spoiled as the Turk staggered at the head-rush from standing up too fast but Reno recovered quickly and slunk quietly over to stand by the front door, gruffly calling for the knocker to identify themselves. Hearing Rufus’ voice sent an instinctual shiver through Reno as his intuition told him this was not simply an impromptu visit.

   
Flipping his EMR off and retracting the rod Reno slowly opened the door and let Rufus inside, finding himself unable to look the man in the eye, sure that the perceptive son of Shinra would see right through him in a second. Rufus’ silence further rattled Reno and when the man motioned that they should move through to the lounge Reno slouched through and slumped back on the couch while Rufus leaned elegantly on the back of an armchair. Rufus didn’t let the uneasy silence linger, saying shortly, ‘I would like you to tell me real reason why you are here instead of at work Reno. And think before you speak because you know that I do not tolerate deception from my Turks.’

   
Any remnants of fight Reno had left in him were annihilated by Rufus’ quiet demand for the truth. Having halfway prepared himself for a patented Rufus evisceration, Reno was in far too defenseless a state to be able to resist calm semi-kindness. Keeping his eyes fixed on the floor Reno said flatly, ‘He found me yo. I fucked up again and paid for it. Do you really need more than that… Sir?’

   
Reno hadn’t really expected to get away with giving such an inadequate account and Rufus did not disappoint him. A fleeting look of black rage flitted across Rufus’ face before it was replaced by an expression of strictly controlled patience. Rufus’ voice was soft but contained a core of steel as he said, ‘Yes Reno, I do need more. I require that you tell me the whole story from start to finish, the story that Tseng seems to be blissfully unaware of.’

   
Rufus’ words made Reno flinch before he could control himself, the reminder that he had willfully and creatively lied to Tseng breaking a small piece off of his heart. Recovering quickly and slamming his impassive mask back into place Reno steadied his breathing and said in a voice devoid of emotion, ‘I went to Gengineering to get a coffee yesterday, obviously a fucking stupid idea yo. I don’t know why yo but V-Veld was there. He nearly took me out with a throwing knife and I would’ve been dead right there if I hadn’t fooled him into thinking Elena was behind him.’

   
Wanting to get it all over as quickly as possible Reno yanked his shirt down to reveal the badly healed wound on his shoulder and he spat out, ‘I couldn’t go to the medical ward yo, I had to buy a Cure on the street. Another stupid idea… The materia was corrupted and I ended up with this wonderful reminder of how utterly fucking mentally deficient I am. Tseng doesn’t know because I set it up to look like I fucked myself over in a materia explosion. And before you ask yo, I did it because Tseng would lock me up here and never let me out if he knew… Probably what you’re planning…’  
 

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From the moment he laid eyes on Reno Rufus had been anticipating something bad, but to hear that Veld had managed to come close to killing his favourite Turk again scraped against his protective instincts like a dull knife. Then Reno abruptly revealed the stark silver scarring on his shoulder and entwining with the shock at the sight of the permanent mark Rufus was filled with fury at Veld’s ability to wreak havoc. In a harsher tone than he actually intended Rufus snapped, ‘And why precisely did you not contact me Reno? Surely you know that this is information I need to keep our plan in motion and our people safe. Tell me Reno, did you think of any of this when you decided to pretend that nothing happened?’

   
As the words left his lips Rufus was already regretting his uncharacteristic outburst and he castigated himself further as he saw the effect his poorly concealed anger had on Reno. Sagging forward to rest his elbows on his knees and hanging his head Reno said in a voice barely above a whisper, ‘I’m sorry yo. I… I didn’t want you to think… It’s all my fault because I broke the rules. I didn’t even think yo… Fuck, I put Elena and the others in danger… I’m such a fuckup.’

   
Reno’s last four words were almost inaudible but Rufus heard them and they hit him like a slap in the face. It spoke volumes to Rufus about how close to breaking Reno was for the cheekily disobedient redhead to be almost panic-stricken over having broken the agreement they had made around him going back to ShinRa. Kicking himself for handling the situation so poorly Rufus paused for a moment and took a second to think about exactly what he was going to say next.

   
Moving with a confidence that for once he didn’t entirely feel Rufus strode over to the couch and sat down next to Reno, reaching out to touch the other man on his uninjured shoulder to get his attention. When Reno slowly and reluctantly raised his head to meet his gaze Rufus said quietly, ‘Please accept my apologies Reno. It is not often that I will admit to being wrong, but I should not have said what I did.’

   
Reno’s bloodshot eyes widened in shock at being on the receiving end of an apology from the notoriously unapologetic son of Shinra but the Turk’s mouth actually dropped open as Rufus continued, ‘It was not my intention to keep you a prisoner with the agreement we came to Reno and I regret making you feel that you were ‘breaking the rules’ as you put it. You are most likely correct about Tseng’s reaction to the real story of how you came by your injury and I judge that you being under house arrest would be in no one’s best interests, least of all yours. Therefore Reno I will keep your secret and you will continue in your role in the labs as soon as you feel able.’

   
His lips curling in a slight smile at the look of total incredulity plastered on Reno’s face Rufus waited for his words to sink in. Watching a myriad of emotions chasing across Reno’s face, Rufus stayed silent as the other man grasped for words and finally murmured, ‘Thank you Rufus, I mean Sir. I can’t just hide away while other people are risking themselves for me, but I promise this won’t happen again yo. I won’t be leaving Weapons… I don’t rate my chances of escaping again. V-Veld’s really lost it yo, he looked fucking feral.’

   
Rufus narrowed his eyes for a second at Reno’s assessment of Veld’s current psychological state but he quickly wiped his expression clean and rose to his feet saying, ‘Now that I’ve ascertained that you are relatively fine, I’ll leave you to rest and heal. Thank you Reno, for telling me what happened… As much as I seem like my father’s son, I value you and the rest of my Turks as more than just the living pawns he and Veld use you as. Stay well Reno and I’ll update you on any further developments in the plan.’

   
Leaving Reno sitting on the couch blinking vacantly after him Rufus swiftly exited the house and made straight for his quarters back at ShinRa. Once he was safely shut in the plush suite on floor forty-two Rufus dropped his mask of placid blankness and snarled out a venomous curse before dropping into the chair behind his desk. Steepling his fingers under his chin Rufus sank deep into thought, mulling over the implications of the information Reno had just given him about the deteriorating Veld.

   
At the very forefront of Rufus’ thoughts was the disturbing but undeniable fact that Veld was descending into insanity at a greater rate than he or Tseng could have guessed when they set their plan into motion. Considering the issue from every angle it only took Rufus a couple of moments to conclude that he would need to step up his plans if he was to prevent Veld from hurting too many more guiltless people in his madness and with his decision made the Son of Shinra leant forward and pushed a button on his vidscreen. While he waited for the call to go through Rufus drummed his fingers on his desk and schemed.

   
Once he had completed a brief call each to Vincent, Cissnei and Elena, Rufus reached again for the keyboard but hesitated with his hand hanging over the keys. In a rare moment of indecision Rufus debated with himself as to who he would call next, Tseng or Rude, but after a couple of seconds of vacillation he decided that Tseng would probably need a face to face conversation. Schooling his face to hide all of the unusually turbulent emotions roiling inside him Rufus waited once more for the vidscreen to connect him to Rude.  
 

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Dusk was draining the red sunset from the sky over Shadowtree and Rude had just finished an exhaustive meeting with his new band of enthusiastic warriors. Strolling slowly through the shadowed trees towards his tent Rude sensed someone coming up quickly behind him and with an inward grin he pulled up short, stopping fast enough for Kioko to crash into him with a curse. Letting his internal grin show briefly on his face Rude turned around and said in an amused tone, ‘If you’re going to stalk someone I can show you how to do it properly. Did you want something?’

   
Like Yuffie Kioko was quick to smile and at Rude’s deadpan delivery she punched him lightly on the arm and laughed at her own clumsiness. Rude’s curiosity was piqued however when the woman sobered swiftly and met his eyes saying seriously, ‘Much as I would love to match wits with you Rude, I actually came to find you with a message. I was in Yuffie’s tent when her vidscreen came on. The man introduced himself as one Rufus Shinra and requested that I find you urgently so here I am.’

   
Rude’s brow furrowed as a wave of worry washed over him, his mind telling him that the call was either more bad news about Reno or a call to arms. Dashing away from the slightly bemused Kioko Rude called back over his shoulder, ‘Thank you Kioko, I’ll find you when this is done and fill you in.’

   
Though Yuffie’s tent was some distance from where Kioko found him Rude made it to the pavilion in record time, bursting through the flaps and skidding to a halt by the desk. Before he moved in front of the screen Rude took a couple of deep breaths to compose himself and then he walked calmly to sit on the be-cushioned chair. Long years of experience allowed Rude to recognize that Rufus was rather disquieted despite his blank face and the bald Turk felt another frisson of anxiety course through him as he waited for Rufus to speak.

   
Compounding Rude’s worry Rufus forewent his usual trick of drawing out the tension and spoke as soon as Rude met his eyes saying, ‘I hope you have progressed with your mission Rude, because things are moving much faster than anticipated. Have you formed a team you feel could sway things in our favour?’

   
Pushing his burning questions aside for the moment Rude answered smartly, ‘The team is complete Sir and I am confident that the warriors who have agreed to come with me can win this for us. Sir, what do you mean things are moving quicker than you thought? I don’t need to be Tseng to know that you’re not saying something important.’

   
To Rude’s unease Rufus let out a sigh and a visible frown crossed his usually smooth face. Leaning forward and making sure his gaze was locked with Rude’s Rufus said quietly, ‘I apologize in advance as there is no easy way to break this. Reno was attacked again Rude. Veld somehow stumbled across him and did his level best to kill him. Reno is right this moment recovering from the wound and… From complications. The development necessitating this call is Veld. His insanity will very soon make him a danger to anyone and everyone around him so we need to move soon.’

   
As the words ‘Reno’, ‘attacked’ and ‘Veld’ reached his ears Rude’s breath froze in his lungs and felt his heart stop momentarily in his chest. When Rufus continued on to say that Reno was recovering Rude managed to suck in a gasp of air as his heart lurched painfully, relief almost overwhelming him at the fact that Reno had once again escaped death. Then Rufus’ subsequent words filtered into Rude’s brain and his focus narrowed to a pinpoint.

   
Rude’s voice was almost unrecognizable as he forgot who he was talking to and snarled, ‘Bring me back Rufus, I’ll kill the bastard myself! He won’t touch Reno again, I’ll rip his fucking hands off first!’

   
Once the words were out and hanging in the air Rude felt the rage lessen slightly and his vision cleared enough for him to see that the usually unflappable Rufus was looking distinctly disconcerted. Choking back the shards of his fury that he wanted to hurl at the man at the other end of the vidscreen Rude gritted his teeth and said in a voice of ominous calm, ‘When are you bringing me back. Sir. You wouldn’t have bothered to contact me if you didn’t have a plan to propose.’

   
Rude cut himself off before he could finish his thought, that Rufus wouldn’t have let him know about Reno’s close call at all if he didn’t have orders or a change in the plan, but he could tell from the sharpening of Rufus’ expression that those words were heard anyway. Leaning forward towards his monitor Rufus said in a deceptively mild tone, ‘I understand your anger Rude and I’m willing to allow some leeway due to the nature of the situation, but don’t push me. Reno isn’t just a subordinate to me, none of my Turks are.’

   
Already regretting venting his anger at Rufus but still pissed beyond belief that he was so far away when his partner was in danger Rude nodded jerkily to indicate his acknowledgement. Rude was just about to try and form an apology when Rufus cleared his throat and spoke again, ‘As for your question Rude, you will be coming back home immediately. I will be sending carrier helicopters over first thing tomorrow and the plan is to refuel and load them so you and your fighters can leave in the evening and arrive in Junon under cover of darkness. I judge that once you are in place we can have our pieces converge to end this in less than a week.’

   
A slow snarling smile spread across Rude’s usually impassive face and he leaned forward to look over his sunglasses at Rufus. In a low rumble that made even the son of Shinra shiver slightly Rude growled, ‘Good. I’ll get my team ready as soon as you fill me in on exactly why we’re to be delivered to Junon instead of Midgar. What have you got planned to take this fucker out?’  
 

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In an attempt to work out his residual uneasiness after Rufus’ visit Tseng immersed himself in the mind-numbing tedium of maintenance logs. With all his attention fixed on the paperwork Tseng managed to severely decimate the pile of reports and was contemplating a short break for lunch when his phone went off. Gratefully discarding his pen Tseng flipped open his phone and said briskly, ‘Tseng, go ahead.’

   
Tseng blinked in surprise when Rufus’ voice sounded in his ear saying curtly, ‘I’m sorry to bother you again Tseng but we need to speak in person and away from the office. Information has come to my attention that necessitates immediate and drastic action.’

   
Caught by the undertone of something strange in Rufus’ voice Tseng didn’t hesitate in saying, ‘I’m going for lunch now, where will you be?’

   
To Tseng’s keen ear Rufus sounded slightly more himself as he replied, ‘Meet me in my quarters as I know for sure no one will be listening. Be here as fast as you can Tseng.’

   
Snapping his phone shut Tseng took a second to stack the mess of papers neatly on his desk before cracking open the door and scanning the hallway intently. Once he was sure that the coast was totally clear Tseng slipped out of his office and made his way to Rufus’ suite as quickly and invisibly as he could. Arriving at Rufus’ door little more than five minutes after leaving his office Tseng knocked sharply and stepped smoothly inside when Rufus let him in.

   
Sitting at the ornately carved table as Rufus motioned for him to take a seat Tseng watched his boss warily, waiting for what critical development was about to be dropped on him. Without preamble Rufus trained his sharp blue gaze on Tseng and said, ‘We need to bring our plan forward. Sources inform me that Veld is descending into madness much faster than you or I anticipated and we need to move before he has the chance to wreak more havoc amongst the people he is charged to watch over and protect.’

   
The thought of Veld becoming even more dangerous than he already was made Tseng shiver inwardly as his mind turned involuntarily to Reno. Meeting Rufus’ uncomfortably perceptive stare Tseng said levelly, ‘When do we move Sir? I judge that the sooner this is over the better for everyone. And what exactly have you planned to give us a clear shot at him? Is your father planning a trip or have you plotted to get him out of Midgar?’

   
Rufus smiled a slow, self-satisfied smile and leaned forward conspiratorially saying smugly, ‘Tomorrow evening Rude will be on his way to Junon from Wutai at all speed and he will be bringing with him a handpicked band of fighters who have volunteered to aid us. I have decided that in four days’ time my father’s apartment complex in the scenic outskirts of Junon will mysteriously be blown to bits by obvious criminal elements and when he runs to assess the damage we will strike down Veld once and for all.’

   
Tseng’s grin uncurled just as slowly as Rufus’ but instead of self-satisfaction contained a dark note of chilling malevolence. Aware that he only had limited time before he would have to be back at his desk Tseng clenched his fist on the table and said in a low growl, ‘Okay Sir, tell me all of it. I’m counting the moments until Veld is scattered around the wilds in ragged pieces.’  
 

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Cooped up in the safehouse with no hope of going back to work for least one more day, Reno was going stir-crazy. The visit from Rufus only served to bring to the surface the shame and guilt he felt at deceiving Tseng and once the son of Shinra had left Reno had to wrap himself arms around himself to try and stop the shaking, hating his weakness but unable to still the tremors that wracked him. With a supreme effort of will Reno managed to stagger up to his bedroom and collapse on the bed to glare blindly at the ceiling.

   
A thought occurred to Reno as he lay sprawled on the bed and he sat up with a harsh gasp, shoving away the momentary dizziness that his too-quick motion created. His blue-green eyes wide with a combination of realization and fear Reno stared into space, cursing himself as a stupid, worthless son of a bitch. In the front of Reno’s thoughts, in mako-neon flashing letters, was the sudden understanding that he had lied about the cause of his injury and then promptly sent Tseng back within arm’s reach of said cause.

   
Reno’s heartrate sped up and was soon pounding so hard in his chest that his pulse seemed to shake his whole body. Desperately, battling against the gleeful whispers of Evil Reno, Reno wracked his brains for anything he could do to mitigate the threat swirling around the man that he loved, but no matter how frantically his mind raced he could think of nothing he could do. Discouraged and filled with fear driven anger Reno shoved himself off the bed and hammered his fist into the wall, rejoicing sickly in the loud crash and burst of pain that followed.

   
Part of Reno’s mind was yelling at him that he was acting like an A-grade, ocean-going fuckwit but the much larger part of his brain simply growled in approval at the destruction and pain. It was only after half a dozen powerful blows and four crumbling holes in the plaster of the wall that Reno became aware of the stabbing pains radiating from his shoulder and he swore out of sheer frustration. Leaving the wall in a sorry state to be dealt with later, Reno stomped into the bathroom next door to hunt for the Cure ointment.

   
Once his protesting shoulder was dealt with and the ache started to recede a little Reno stalked back into his bedroom to clean up the mess he had made. Trying to ignore the still churning mix of anger and fear in his chest Reno did his best to patch up the wall while holding a heated argument with Evil Reno who had started by hissing smugly, ‘Ah, you’ve finally figured out that you’re pissing round here nice and safe while Tseng could be fucked up by Veld at any time. Tell me yo, do you enjoy putting the people you care about in danger or are you just too stupid to prevent it from happening?’

   
Slamming a handful of powdered wall back into one of the holes he had made Reno snarled under his breath, ‘Fuck you! If I could I’d lock him in the house until this shit was over but we both fucking know that of all the unlikely things ever that’s probably the most impossible. There’s nothing I can fucking do, I can’t even keep a fucking eye on him when I’m actually at work because I’m not in the same Gaia-damned building yo!’

   
Sly and sadistic the voice of Evil Reno drawled back, ‘Doesn’t matter yo, you say you love him but I doubt it. You’re too much of a fucking coward, too scared of Veld to even set foot in your old workplace yo… How is that love huh? You’re too paralyzed by fear to do anything to keep your precious Tseng safe yo.’

   
Reno gritted his teeth and as gently as he could with shaking hands smoothed the hastily repaired wall, sending a brief prayer to Gaia that he had done enough for the damage not to be noticed. Shoving himself to his feet Reno closed his eyes and in a deadly serious voice that no one who knew him had ever heard from him said, ‘I will not let anything happen to him. Say what you want yo, as long as I’m breathing I will protect him with my fucking life.’

   
There was silence in Reno’s head for a moment and he started to think that Evil Reno had departed until the next time. The vicious voice had one final parting shot however and as it faded away it snickered, ‘If you can slumrat, if you can.’


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Warning for a sexy scene... Well, more for my lack of skill in writing it. Hope it isn't too bad.**

Rufus’ plan would have most likely succeeded without a hitch if Veld had been as mentally written off as everyone assumed. Unfortunately, inside the insanity that blanketed his mind, Veld still had a small core of animal cunning that only grew more savage as time went by. While Rufus and his group of insurgents plotted in secret Veld also schemed, although the Turk Director’s plans were more than a little twisted.

   
Just after Elena made her first spectral appearance Veld decided that he needed some insurance that he would not be standing alone against the ghostly threat. Using his still considerable influence Veld invited two more prospective Turk recruits to come and work for him directly, choosing a male/female mercenary team for their reputation of ferocity. Once he had his heavily armed back-up in hand Veld then turned his fragmenting thoughts to continuing his purge of the Turks that he saw as a danger to him. The top of his termination list now that he had disposed of Elena and Rude was Reno, but a very close second was Tseng.

   
Though he didn’t know it, it was the same day that Rude found out that he was coming home that Veld came up with a plan that he was sure would take care of the irritatingly competent Tseng and it didn’t take him long to set everything in motion. Putting on a mask of sanity and unctuous camaraderie Veld steeled himself for a meeting with Heidegger who he cordially detested, knowing that if he could bend the Director of Public Safety to his designs then his plan was sure to succeed. The Veld that walked the corridors of ShinRa to visit Heidegger’s office was a Veld that had not been seen for a very long time; confident, arrogant and apparently firmly in control.  
 

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The evening that Tseng had had his meeting with Rufus he arrived home to discover as soon as he got in the door that Reno was waiting for him. Caught up in the intrigue and complexities of Rufus’ detailed schemes Tseng had been unusually lacking in concentration as he walked into the house and shut the door behind himself. With a suddenness that made Tseng emit a most un-Tseng-like yelp he found himself shoved backwards against the door and subjected to an extremely fiery kiss from an intense and attentive Reno.

   
It took a moment for Tseng to recover from the surprise of being ambushed and by the time he got himself together Reno had managed to unbutton his shirt and was sliding his arms around his waist. His heartrate slowing a little Tseng decided that he could get used to being greeted like this and kissed Reno back, returning the favor of removing the other man’s shirt with all haste. Gliding his hands gently over the muscles of Reno’s back Tseng grinned into the kiss as he heard a muffled groan.

   
Keeping up the intensity and momentum that Reno had set in motion Tseng tightened his hold on the man momentarily and whipped them both around, ending up with Reno sitting on the benchtop, held in place by Tseng’s body. Tseng broke the kiss reluctantly, looking up into Reno’s eyes to make sure everything was okay, but the look of raw hunger in Reno’s heated gaze put his fears to rest and stoked the fire in his own heart. Sliding a hand up Reno’s back to hold him in place Tseng pressed the redhead to him and kissed him until they were both gasping for breath.

   
Finally Tseng could hold back no longer and he smiled at Reno’s gasping moan as he skimmed his fingers down the man’s stomach to come to rest on the waist of his pants. Deftly making short work of the button and zip Tseng kissed his way down to Reno’s neck and at the same time slid his hand into the redhead’s pants to wrap his fingers around his erection. The aroused noise Reno made at the touch of his hand drew a rumbling growl from Tseng and he began to stroke Reno’s cock while lightly grazing his teeth over the taut tendon of his neck.

   
Although Tseng was almost entirely submerged in a fog of desire he was still with it enough to register when Reno suddenly shuddered and shakily whispered his name. Snapping his gaze up to Reno’s face Tseng bit his lip at the conflicted expression he saw and slowly he moved his hands until he was holding Reno’s waist lightly in a nonthreatening manner. Holding Reno’s gaze Tseng said softly, ‘Reno? Are you okay? We can stop if you want.’

   
Because he was watching closely Tseng caught the flicker of self-loathing and shame that flashed behind Reno’s eyes before he looked away and the Wutaiin immediately took steps to stop the spiral that he knew was happening in Reno’s mind. Leaving his hands resting on the sides of Reno’s ribcage Tseng pulled the redhead off the bench and into a light, quick hug before looking him in the eyes and saying earnestly, ‘I know what you’re thinking and I’m not disappointed and I’m not angry Reno. Why don’t we go sit down and you can tell me what’s on your mind… Or we could find some brainless ShinRa sponsored game show on TV if you don’t want to talk.’

   
Waiting for Reno to quickly zip himself up, Tseng pulled gently on his waist and frowned briefly as the redhead followed him compliantly without a hint of his usual Reno-ness. Only a few steps towards the lounge however Tseng felt Reno squeeze his arm and he looked back to see that Reno had stopped and was looking at the floor. Before Tseng could vocalize a question Reno murmured, ‘Could we, uh, just go to bed yo? I don’t… I’m… I’m sorry yo.’

   
The submissive, apologetic aura that surrounded Reno made Tseng’s heart clench painfully and he turned around to pull the other man to him in a feather-light hug. With his lips right next to Reno’s ear Tseng whispered, ‘Of course Reno. And I don’t care how many times I have to repeat myself, you do not have anything to be sorry for.’  
 

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Waiting for Tseng to get home after his day of enforced recuperation did nothing for Reno except allow his brain to stew in thoughts of the man he loved working in perilously close proximity to Veld. The last hour before Tseng was due to be home saw Reno ceaselessly pacing around the small kitchen and lounge, knowing that Tseng would arrive when he arrived but still impatient as all fuck to confirm that his bossman was okay. Reno only heard Tseng’s near silent footsteps because all of his senses were on absolute edge and he was already moving towards the door as Tseng stepped inside.

   
Moving so swiftly he was basically a blur Reno hit Tseng before the man knew what was happening and he pressed his partner up against the door, kissing him with all the pent up desperation and need that filled him. Part of Reno took note of the fact that Tseng was slightly slow to react so he took full advantage of the minuscule grace period to use his nimble fingers to unfasten the man’s top while still kissing him senseless. What Reno hadn’t been expecting however was the abrupt change in dominance and he couldn’t completely smother a jolt of fright as Tseng turned the tables.

   
The feel of Tseng’s lean muscles moving under his jacket went a long way to driving the bad thoughts from Reno’s mind and comfortably seated on the bench with his legs wrapped around Tseng’s waist he met the man’s chocolate gaze with a look of pure desire. Beyond rational thought and wanting nothing more than to feel Tseng’s skin against his own Reno lost himself in the heat of Tseng’s mouth and breath. Groaning at the almost painful lust that coursed through him as Tseng sensuously trailed his fingers downward Reno’s eyes rolled back and he thought he was going to pass out as Tseng began to stroke his cock with a skillful hand.

   
Wrapped in a haze of desire that mixed oddly with the lingering skepticism that this surely couldn’t be happening, Reno was about as unguarded as it was possible for him to get when out of nowhere an image burst into his brain that smashed him violently back to earth. Although Reno’s body was blissing out at Tseng’s touch, his mind was recoiling from the sickening image of Veld with a writhing victim under him; but instead of Reno this time Veld’s prey was Tseng. Trapped in the horror that his mind was presenting him Reno shivered and couldn’t hold back a wretched whimper, ‘Ts-Tseng…’

   
It took a moment for Reno to realize that Tseng had abruptly stopped what he was doing and was asking him a question. Unable to control the pathetic expression he just knew was written all over his face Reno looked away as a jolt of self-hatred sent a surge of nausea rolling over him and then he nearly had a heart attack when Tseng pulled him off the counter and into a gentle embrace. Simply incapable of keeping up with what was happening outside of his hell-filled head Reno stared at Tseng and tried to work out how he hadn’t been punched in the face yet.

   
Some part of his mind that was slightly more with it told Reno that Tseng had finished speaking but before he could work his way through the complications of speech he realized that he was somewhat exposed and hurriedly fastened his pants with an uncharacteristic blush. When Tseng started to lead him through to the lounge however Reno realized exactly how unsteady on his feet he was and he found the strength to grip Tseng’s arm and force out the halting words, ‘Could we, uh, just go to bed yo? I don’t… I’m… I’m sorry yo.’

   
In the back of his mind Reno knew that Tseng meant his response to be comforting but he only felt a deep and bitter stab of derision for his own weakness as the other man hugged him lightly. Enduring Tseng’s hold for a moment Reno then turned away, walking mechanically and keeping his head down so that Tseng wouldn’t see the tears that shimmered in his eyes and threatened to spill over. Hearing the other man hesitate and then follow after him, Reno headed for the bedroom, hoping that the meager remains of his strength would keep him upright until he was able to fall into bed.

   
When he all but collapsed on the bed Reno sent a brief prayer of thanks to Gaia as Tseng excused himself and disappeared to the bathroom. Because of his altercation with the wall earlier that day Reno had hunted out a pair of gloves to hide the bruising and scabbing on his knuckles and he had been desperately trying to think of way to hide the evidence once gloves were no longer a viable option. Tseng leaving the room gave Reno the opportunity he needed to hide his battered hands under the sheets, but it also gave him the chance to avoid another pressing issue.

   
Besides feeling chagrined over his stupidity in hitting the wall earlier Reno was also battling a feeling so alien he didn’t know what to do with it. The unexpected mental flash of Veld and Tseng had brought back all the horrible memories of the rape and now Reno felt so sullied and dirty he didn’t even want Tseng looking into his eyes, let alone at his body. Being ashamed of his body was so opposite to Reno’s usual outlook on life that he felt physically sick as he slid under the blankets, wrapping himself up and obscuring his face under the covers just before Tseng came back in.

   
With all of his senses stretched to the extreme Reno heard the displacement of air as Tseng reappeared in the bedroom doorway and hesitated for a second before walking in and stripping off his uniform to leave it neatly folded on the chair. Though he wasn’t actually scared of Tseng at all, Reno’s skin still crawled as his partner carefully climbed over him and he swallowed a retch as once again the image of Veld flashed into his mind. Reno was hyper-aware of Tseng as he slid into bed and he couldn’t make his rigid muscles relax as the other man stretched out close to him but not quite touching his skin.  
 

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While he was in the bathroom Tseng’s brain was going a mile a minute, trying to work out how to break through the scarily passive and submissive shell Reno had constructed without shattering the man’s tenuous hold on himself. When Tseng made it back to the bedroom however, his numerous half-formed paths of thought all fell to pieces as he looked at the bed to see Reno had burrowed under the blankets leaving nothing visible but a few unruly spikes of red hair. Absently disrobing and leaving his work clothes ready for the next day Tseng did his best to get into bed without doing anything that could trigger the fragile Reno.

   
Hating the feeling of powerlessness that filled him as he rolled onto his side and stared at the lump of blankets containing Reno, Tseng sorted through his short list of options. The silence drew out and Tseng realized that he would need to be the one to act as Reno was now shivering under the covers. Taking a chance and praying that he wasn’t about to spark another meltdown Tseng snaked his hand under the sheets and reached out to rest his fingertips on Reno’s shoulder.

   
At best Tseng was expecting a jolt when his skin touched Reno’s and at worst he half suspected that the redhead might vanish out of room before he could stop him, but instead Reno let out a stifled moan and rolled over to cling to him tightly. Gently enfolding the quietly sobbing redhead in his arms, Tseng clamped down the ache in his own heart and focused solely on offering what comfort he could as Reno’s hot tears soaked his chest. Biting his lip against a sudden jag of anger that coursed through him Tseng bent his head to brush a kiss against Reno’s hair and waited for the storm to pass.

   
Eventually as the sounds of evening Midgar gave way to the relative calm of night Tseng felt Reno’s sobs start to taper off and he looked down as he felt the other man try to pull back a little. Tseng’s heart broke all over again as he took in the shame, self-loathing and almost hidden flicker of fear in Reno’s eyes and he listened silently as Reno whispered, ‘I… Fuck Tseng I’m sorry yo. I couldn’t help it… I’m sorry…’

   
Hearing the broken, pleading note in Reno’s voice Tseng discovered a depth of rage in himself that he didn’t know existed and for a second the vision of his hands around Veld’s throat blanked out all other thought, overwhelming in its vividness and detail. Knowing that he didn’t have the luxury of losing himself in revenge fantasies Tseng shoved away the image of himself strangling the life from Veld and he forced his voice to be soft and steady as he looked Reno in the eye and said simply, ‘Reno please… Talk to me?’

   
Tseng felt a small flicker of hope in his heart when Reno held his gaze for a few seconds before looking down and he listened intently as the redhead murmured, ‘I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want you to stop. But He… He was just suddenly there in my head yo. I… Tseng… I feel like a fucking girl saying this out loud yo, but it scares the Gaia-damned shit out of me that you… That you’re in the same building as him, let alone on the same fucking floor yo.’

   
A glimmer of understanding lit up Tseng’s mind and was confirmed completely as Reno continued in a dark tone, ‘I was here all day going insane yo, nothing else to do apart from imagine what that fucker might do if he had the slightest hint of what you and Rufus were planning. I know Tseng, I know what he’s capable of yo, and you being within arm’s reach… Fuck…’

   
Trailing his fingers gently over the tattoo on Reno’s cheek Tseng much less gently castigated himself for not thinking of this source of worry for Reno. Aware that Reno was speaking from conviction and intense emotion Tseng wanted to reply as comprehensively as possible. It also deeply bothered Tseng that Reno obviously felt that he was doing something wrong in asking to stop if he felt uncomfortable so he thought seriously about how to address this issue first.

   
Softly but firmly Tseng cupped a hand under Reno’s chin and raised his face so he could look him in the eye. Against his ingrained instincts of a lifetime Tseng let fall the last of his defenses and tried to communicate every last bit of his love and sincerity as he said, ‘Reno, I need you to listen to me and really hear me. I’m not going to tell you to stop apologizing because I know you feel like you need to, but I want to be sure that you know where I stand. When you ask me stop… It’s not bad or wrong. When I touch you it’s because I want to make you feel good and if you’re having a flashback then I want to be doing something to make that better, not have you feeling worse because you think I’m disappointed, or thinking I’ll get angry.’

   
As he spoke Tseng could almost see the layers of shame and contrition falling away from Reno’s fine features and he allowed a rare soft smile to curve his lips as he continued, ‘As long as it takes Reno, I will wait. No matter what is happening, if you say stop then I will stop. Whatever I have to do to convince you that you’re still the Reno who reminded me that I have a heart… I will do it Reno. You’ve never known me to lie, so trust me when I say this.’

   
Tseng could read deep in Reno’s blue-green eyes that somehow his words had hit their mark and he inwardly sighed in relief as Reno managed a small smile. Wanting to build on the delicate feeling of ‘good’ that hung in the air Tseng once again turned serious and searched for the words he needed to address the second thing that was ricocheting around inside Reno’s brain. Letting the pause linger to become a strangely comfortable silence Tseng pressed his lips almost reverently to Reno’s forehead and sent a short prayer to Gaia that the redhead would actually believe him.

   
His rich voice firm and steady Tseng held Reno’s gaze unwaveringly and said, ‘As for your other concern Reno, I must apologize for overlooking how this would impact on you. Being your ‘bossman’ as you call me it is my job to think of things like this and it is inexcusable for me to not have considered and addressed this. This has been in my head Reno but again, it’s inexcusable for me to not have made it perfectly clear to you.’

   
Intensity burning in his eyes Tseng dropped his voice to a low growl and continued, ‘I will not allow anything to happen to myself Reno because no matter what we face I intend to be there at the end, standing next to you as we watch Veld take his last, gasping, painful breath. It won’t be long now until he is nothing but a fading memory and a warning to others who would ever think of daring to hurt you.’

   
As his words hung in the dead silence Tseng couldn’t entirely hide a wince at how saccharine and undignified his words sounded but he quickly forgot his discomfort as he watched the expressions that chased each other across Reno’s face. At first Reno’s face was filled with worry and fear, but as Tseng’s words echoed in the air, filled with conviction and deadly certainty the redhead’s gaze slowly sharpened and his eyes filled with a mixture of hope and fierce resolve. Tseng was never sure who moved first, but in the space of a breath Reno’s lips were again pressed against his own in a burning kiss.  
 

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Lying next to Tseng and listening to the man’s slow and steady breathing Reno could almost fool himself into believing that everything was perfectly fine and right with the world. Almost. As he lay staring into the mako-illuminated dimness of the room Reno did his best to hold onto the long absent spark of hope that Tseng’s adamant words had kindled in him. Time wore on and to Reno’s dismay a tiny tickle in the back of his mind turned into full-blown Evil Reno in the space of a few seconds.

   
The usually sly tone of Evil Reno held a sharper, crueler edge as he whispered, ‘Oh Ren-Ren, you’re so cute when you’re in denial yo. When you think that you’re coming out of the dark. You know that you really don’t believe what you’re trying to tell yourself… Come on yo, things are only going good to make it that much more awesome when you’re fucked over.’

   
Resisting the urge to shake his head Reno couldn’t help a light, shuddering gasp as Evil Reno increased in volume and snarled, ‘And then there’s him. If you think even mighty Tseng of the Turks can stay untouched by this then you’re even more fucked in the head than anyone thought yo. Odds are that your beloved Tseng will end up in that fantastic dungeon that you know so well and he will fucking die down there, all thanks to you.’

   
Reno had absolutely no words with which to counter the vitriol that Evil Reno spewed into his head and the tormenting voice faded away again, leaving only a ghostly air of satisfaction and a sick churning in Reno’s stomach. Closing his eyes to hold back the threatening tears Reno resorted to something he had barely done since childhood, sending a desperate prayer to Gaia pleading, ‘Oh please Gaia, I will do anything. I don’t fucking matter… Please, if your plan means that someone has to die then take me… No one should die in my place… Please hear me… Keep him safe…’  
 

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The day after Reno reluctantly opened up to him Tseng spent every waking minute on full alert. Although he had spoken with sincerity and conviction the previous night when he had assured Reno of his own safety, Tseng had woken from a dream in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, trying to banish the image of his own body lying broken and bloody, held by a shivering Reno. All day Tseng had to suppress the urge to whip out his gun at every unexpected noise and he had never felt as relieved as when finishing time rolled around and he was able to head back to the safehouse.

   
Something else that had been contributing to Tseng’ atypical disquiet had been the fact that, despite Tseng’s restrained objections, Reno had shunned the protection of the safehouse and headed back to the Weapons labs that morning. Rufus had assured Tseng that all precautions had been taken to safeguard the security of Reno’s environment but it had taken all of the self-control that Tseng had left for him to resist the urge to ghost over to the Weapons Division every ten minutes to assure himself that Reno was still breathing.

   
Unlocking the reinforced front door of the Sector Five house Tseng immediately determined that Reno was already home and before he could stifle it a small sigh of relief forced itself from between his lips. As he closed and locked the door behind himself Tseng paused for a moment and cast off the stress of the day with a brief breathing exercise before heading into the house to find Reno. Following the sound of the blaring TV Tseng walked into the lounge and raised an elegant eyebrow at the sheer sloth oozing from Reno’s every pore as he reclined on the couch flipping through programs.

   
As soon as Tseng stepped into the doorway Reno’s head shot up, the redhead bestowing upon him an easy grin that surprised an answering smile from the usually emotionally restrained Wutaiin. With an inelegant grunt Reno shoved himself up to make room on the couch and Tseng accepted the unspoken invitation, moving to sink smoothly onto the cushions with an inward sigh. The silence was comfortable and drew out until Tseng looked over at Reno and said, ‘It’s good to see you smiling Reno, I must admit I’ve missed it. I take it work went smoothly today?’

   
For a second Tseng thought he saw something flicker behind Reno’s smirk but it disappeared so quickly that he doubtfully concluded that he must have imagined it. Reno closed his eyes for a second stretching languidly and then replied, ‘I don’t know what Rufus said to her yo but Scarlet brought me a damn cup of coffee this afternoon and asked if I wanted to leave early. Before she came in I was quite happy mucking around with materia, but after that yo I was too spooked to stick around. I got back about an hour ago and thought I’d take your advice and rest up some.’

   
Tseng couldn’t help snorting in an undignified fashion at the idea of Reno actually following something that wasn’t a direct order but he went quiet as Reno continued, ‘I guess my shoulder was kind of killing me yo, but Gaia’s fucking love there was one thing I hadn’t thought of. Fuck Tseng, it was lucky you got here yo… I thought my internal organs were pretty much about to shut down from the absolute shit ShinRa sees fit to call fucking television programming.’

   
A long pause drew out as Tseng blinked at Reno blankly but when his thoughts caught up with the redhead’s characteristic humor he let out a low chuckle and reached out to gently brush Reno’s hair away from his face. Falling back against the couch Tseng released a long slow breath and said with a trace of acerbic amusement, ‘I’m glad that the television hasn’t succeeded in liquefying your brain any further than it naturally is Reno, after the trouble I’ve had today dealing with brainless ShinRa bureaucrats it would be nice to have some semi-intelligent conversation.’

   
In the wake of Tseng’s facetious jab there was a moment of complete silence and then Reno let out a roar of laughter loud enough that Tseng had to suppress a jump of surprise. Once Reno recovered enough to speak he wheezed, ‘Gaia’s love bossman, you need to come with a warning label yo. I’ve been called a lot of different kinds of stupid yo, but liquefied brain? That’s a new one. I guess I should be honored that you rank me above the drones at the office though, nothing like a good compliment yo.’

   
Any tension that remained in the cozy room drained away completely at the sound of Reno’s unrestrained laughter. Just enjoying the feeling of being totally undisturbed Tseng smiled faintly when Reno leaned against him and rested his head on his shoulder, glancing sideways at the other man to see a fleeting look of uncertainty flit across the redhead’s face. Intuiting that Reno’s internal monologue might be telling him that such familiarity was unwelcome Tseng immediately shifted in his seat, wrapping an arm around Reno’s shoulders and pulling him close.

   
For a second Tseng felt Reno stiffen against his hold but then the redhead shivered and relaxed and Tseng let himself breathe again as Reno slowly slid his hand over his stomach to return the embrace. Tseng could have sat that way on the couch all night, content just to listen to the sound of Reno’s steady breathing and appreciate the feeling of having the other man pressed against him, but he quickly found out that Reno had other ideas.  
 

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Following Tseng pulling him close and simply holding him Reno had been perfectly happy to just marvel at how insanely good it felt to be in the man’s arms, but as his impetuous nature began to make a slow comeback he found himself wanting more. Not pausing to question the great sensation of feeling more like himself Reno acted on pure impulse, sinuously twisting and sliding onto Tseng’s lap so that in the space of a heartbeat he was straddling the startled man and looking down into his wide dark eyes.

   
Reno let a slow, suggestive smile creep across his face and when Tseng’s eyes widened even further he leaned forward and whispered in the motionless man’s ear, ‘What would you say if I told you that conversation was the last thing on my mind bossman? It’s been pissing me off all day yo that we never got to finish what we started last night. Don’t tell me it’s just me…’

   
Tseng’s face remained impassive but Reno smirked to see a mix of astonishment and unfurling desire in the honey tinged dark depths of the man’s eyes. Holding Tseng’s penetrating stare Reno didn’t bother to hide the fires of his own lust burning in his eyes and he agonizingly slowly inched forward until his lips met Tseng’s in a soft but intense kiss. Not content to settle with the silken touch of Tseng’s mouth on his, Reno slowly ground his hips against the other man and melted inwardly at the helpless groan this produced.

   
Deciding that his favorite noise in the whole world was Tseng losing himself in desire, Reno tortuously rolled his hips again and luxuriated in the growl of unadulterated lust that tore from Tseng’s throat. A devilish smirk on his lips and answering flames of need in his sea-green eyes Reno pushed himself back so he was sitting on Tseng’s knees and purred, ‘What’s say we move this out of the lounge yo? We need a bed for what I plan to do to you Bossman.’

   
As he slid to his feet Reno enjoyed Tseng’s huff that was part exasperation and part promise of payback when they got to the bedroom. Taking Tseng’s hand Reno felt an urge that he hadn’t felt since Veld had last attempted to beat the life out of him and as he made his way towards the bedroom he put a sinuous sway in his walk that he knew for a fact drove pretty much everyone in ShinRa crazy. Rolling with the confidence that flooded him Reno resisted looking back at the man following him, but he could feel Tseng’s eyes burning a hole in his back the whole way to the bedroom.

   
Gliding into the room Reno didn’t even bother closing the door behind him and he all but dragged Tseng over to the bed. Acting more like his old self than he had in months Reno twisted around without letting go of Tseng’s hand and in an instant the pair were sprawled on the mattress, a startled Tseng only just managing to land on his hands so he didn’t crash onto Reno who was grinning like an overly satisfied fox. As he looked up at Tseng, Reno saw a tinge of worry deep in the man’s eyes and though he appreciated the concern he refused to let the past intrude on his good feelings.

   
Reno locked gazes with Tseng and his lecherous grin shifted to become a smile filled with both affection and desire. Deciding that Tseng might need some more convincing that he was in fact up to finishing what he had so enthusiastically started, Reno slipped his arms around the other man’s waist and in an instant he was straddling Tseng and grinning down at him. Before Tseng could react to their sudden change of positions Reno bent down and without breaking their shared stare initiated a deep and passionate kiss.

   
Tseng’s hands slowly drifted up and Reno found himself deftly assisted in divesting himself of his jacket and shirt. Shivering as Tseng’s fingers ghosted across his bare skin Reno let out a low growl and made quick work of Tseng’s buttons, smirking as he pushed the man’s shirt away from his chest and lightly trapped his arms. Looking down at Tseng who was now willingly helpless beneath him Reno leaned in for another kiss, inhaling sharply at the intoxicating feeling of Tseng’s bare skin against his.

   
Reno kissed Tseng until the other Turk couldn’t help but press up against him with a groan and then he drew back, standing between Tseng’s legs and waiting for Tseng to look at him. When Tseng’s eyes fluttered open and he fixed Reno with a look of mild annoyance, the redhead winked roguishly and launched into a sensual strip show of removing his pants. Satisfied that Tseng was utterly entranced with his performance Reno bent over the other man and dragged his blunt nails down his chest, pausing briefly at the waist of Tseng’s pants before unzipping them and tugging the garment down over his hips.

   
Not wasting any time, just about salivating at the sight of Tseng on a platter in front of him, Reno dropped to his knees and took Tseng’s arousal in his hands. Loving the gasp that his touch dragged from Tseng Reno couldn’t hold back any longer and he leaned forward to run his tongue up Tseng’s hard length. With long sensual licks that had his lover writhing under him and groaning low in the back of his throat, Reno brought Tseng agonizingly close to the edge before abruptly stopping what he was doing and moving back up, once again straddling the aroused and frustrated man with a wicked smile on his face.  
 

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Tseng’s brain was dripping out of his ears when Reno stopped the incredible things he was doing with his tongue and Tseng had just long enough to let out a strangled, un-Tseng-like whine before his breath caught in his throat. The sight of Reno poised naked above him stripped away another layer of Tseng’s habitual self-control and when the redhead grinned in a deliciously indecent way Tseng simply couldn’t help growling, ‘Fuck Reno, don’t stop… I want you…’

   
Reno’s expression changed from mischievous to lustful in the blink of an eye and Tseng groaned again, involuntarily bucking his hips at the jolt of desire that shot through him. For a brief second Reno’s sea-green eyes met Tseng’s smoldering chocolate brown gaze and then Tseng’s world imploded as the redhead licked his lips and smoothly backed onto his cock. At the feeling of Reno’s heat enclosing his straining erection Tseng arched against the bed and let out a shaky groan, his head falling back against the pillows.

   
Reno set the pace with a slow, sensual rocking motion and Tseng had to use all his concentration to keep control of himself, his vaunted restraint being tested to its limits by the feel and sight of Reno riding him. Running his hands lightly up the taut muscles of Reno’s thighs Tseng watched in fascination as a red flush crept over the other man’s cheeks and down his chest. Unable to keep still as Reno moved above him, Tseng began to buck his hips in time to the redhead’s movements and was rewarded by a shuddering gasp that set his nerves on fire.

   
Watching Reno’s lithe body above him and hearing the redhead’s unabashed moans brought Tseng to the edge much faster than he thought possible. As their movements quickened any control Tseng still had was stripped from him and heard himself moaning shamelessly, ‘Oooooh fuck… Reno… Yesss…’

   
Lost in a fog of pleasure Tseng’s eyes slipped closed and his breathing came in short pants, but his eyes flew open again when Reno whispered his name. A groan of pure desire tore from Tseng’s throat when he saw that Reno was gazing down at him with hazy eyes and stroking his hand sensuously up and down his own erection. Watching Reno touch himself while riding him took Tseng’s breath away for a moment and the heat that flushed his whole body almost tipped him over the edge.

   
Only just able to hold onto what remained of his mind Tseng slid his hands up Reno’s thighs again and pulled him forward slightly so he could change the angle of his thrusts. On his second thrust Tseng hit the spot that forced a full-throated cry from Reno’s lips and the wanton way that Reno ground back on him told him that the redhead was just as close as he was. Finally casting away the very last of his restraint Tseng increased the pace of his thrusts and surrendered to pleasure, feeling Reno shudder helplessly in orgasm moments before he followed him over the edge.  
 

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Reno lay bonelessly next to Tseng and listened to the man’s quiet breathing. Even though he was too worn out to move so much as a toe Reno’s brain still wasn’t quite ready to let him sleep and he stared at the ceiling with a slight frown on his face. As seemed to be becoming a sort of night time ritual for him Reno cringed at the silkily poisonous voice of Evil Reno slipping into his mind with an opening hiss of, ‘You don’t seem to learn, do you dumbfuck? It shouldn’t keep surprising me the way you delude yourself yo, but I can’t help noticing that Tseng hasn’t been cut loose to live a long and Reno-fuckery-free life. And Ren-Ren, let me emphasize the long life bit.’

   
Biting his lip and trying to keep the surge of anxiety that ripped through him under control Reno attempted to ignore Evil Reno’ pitilessly vicious words. In his sleep Tseng tightened his arm slightly around Reno’s body and to his relief Reno found that the brush of skin on skin made Evil Reno’s voice fuzz out like a bad radio station. In the dark of the night, with blessed silence in his head, Reno sent an uneasy plea to Gaia thinking desperately, ‘Gaia please smooth the path for Rufus to finish this soon because I’m going to go insane yo. I can’t take it… Please keep Tseng safe while I can’t protect him…’


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this took a while and apologies to those reading my other fics... I haven't forgotten about you and the next chapters are in progress.  
> No warnings for this chapter, but brace yourself for what is to come.

As Reno and Tseng and most of Midgar lay sleeping and less than forty hours after concluding his conversation with Rufus, Rude finally stepped off the transport helicopter and onto the soil of his home continent. While Yuffie and Kioko set about efficiently unloading the warriors and supplies Rude pulled out his vidscreen and set it up on a rock, immediately placing a call to Rufus. Despite the fact that it had just gone 2am Rufus answered the call mere seconds after Rude pushed the send button.

   
Rufus’ image brightened into view on the screen and at the expectant look on the man’s face Rude quickly barked out, ‘We’re on the outskirts of Junon, about an hour away from President Shinra’s apartment complex Sir. Unless you have any additional orders I plan to move our people into the surrounding streets and set up spots to hide our weapons and armament so we are ready to move as soon as you give the word.’

   
Although Rufus’ face remained impassive his eyes glittered with dark anticipation and his voice betrayed a trace of excitement as he replied, ‘Thank you Rude, things are moving and I plan on putting you into play as soon as possible. At this stage we are looking at two to three days before we bring Veld down for good.’

   
Rude was just nodding his understanding when Rufus’ expression suddenly sharpened and the bald Turk blinked as Rufus added quietly, ‘And Rude… I know you don’t see yourself as much of a leader, but I think you should realize that even Tseng couldn’t have done a better job in your place. Know your worth Turk, because when this is over you may find I have more jobs for you.’

   
The vidscreen once again faded to black but Rude sat staring at the blank monitor looking like he had just been poleaxed. Of all the things the stoic Turk had expected to hear from the inexpressive Son of Shinra, a favourable comparison of his abilities to _Tseng’s_ … He could barely believe that he had heard right. Rude might have sat on the rock until dawn lit the skies had Kioko not noticed the state he was on and kindly come over to close the vidscreen and push him in the direction the gathered men.

   
Trying to get himself together Rude began the task of splitting his band into the groups who would lay the four separate precisely placed bombs that would bring down President Shinra’s building and once the units were appraised of their tasks he turned to the two men who had not been assigned a bomb group. Rude nodded at the twins Xiàrén and Xiǎng briefly before saying in a low voice, ‘Now you two have the job of clearing the building before the go ahead is given for detonation. Shinra is possessive of his residences so there should only be a skeleton cleaning crew when we plan to get started.’

   
As the twins nodded in unison Rude went on, ‘Yuffie recommended you for this for your ability to avoid being seen, this is because we need to you actually infiltrate the building. Once inside you will have to lie in wait for the signal and then make sure that the staff are out before getting clear yourselves. Now, any questions?’

   
There were no questions and as the two young Wutaiins took off towards President Shinra’s Junon home Rude watched the other preparations with a pensive look hidden behind his ever-present glasses. He hadn’t had a chance to voice his concerns during his short talk with Rufus, but Rude couldn’t help but feel that the delay of two or three days in the plan was leaving them open to unnecessary risks. Wrestling with his misgivings for a few moments Rude reluctantly concluded that there was nothing he could do at this point and so when Yuffie bounced up to inform him that everything was ready he got himself firmly under control and got to work.  
 

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For too long Tseng had been living in the limbo of waiting for Rufus to spring the trap they were constructing around Veld and the stress was beginning to take its toll on even his iron self-control. While Reno snored next to him in the mako-lit night Tseng ripped himself out of a nightmare, his eyes snapping open to stare blindly at the wall. Quickly clamping down on his shaky breathing Tseng sarcastically thanked Gaia for the fact that he hadn’t jolted upright and woken Reno as well.

   
The nightmare that Tseng had jerked himself out of bled over from the dream into the real world and over and over again behind his eyes he saw Reno’s bloodstained hand stretched out towards him as Veld choked the life from the redhead’s limp body. Gritting his teeth against the distressed growl that rumbled in his throat Tseng blinked furiously, but he was unable to stop the vision from moving forward and showing him Reno’s mutilated corpse and Veld smirking while licking the man’s blood off his knife. In a voice that contained a core of adamant determination Tseng whispered to the night, ‘Chúfēi wǒ sǐle. Not while I draw breath.’

   
Tseng would have probably glared a hole in the wall until the sun rose over the city, but as it was he found himself almost glad that he was awake when his phone rang loudly at 3am. Thankful that he wasn’t on the wall-side of the bed Tseng snatched up the phone and slid to his feet, slipping out into the hall so as not to wake the still sleeping Reno. Answering the call with a crisp ‘Tseng here’ Tseng blinked in surprise when he heard Heidegger’s voice on the other end of the line.

   
Not ten minutes after rolling out of bed Tseng was dragging on the spare uniform that he kept in the other bedroom, hurrying so that he didn’t jeopardize the emergency mission Heidegger had just thrown at him. Once he was dressed and ready for business Tseng hesitated for a second in the hallway outside of Reno’s room, debating the wisdom of waking the other man up to let him know what was happening and to say goodbye. Eventually Tseng compromised with himself by scribbling a short note in the mako-glow and he slipped back into the room just long enough to place the paper on the bedside table and to leave a whisper-light kiss on Reno’s lips before vanishing out the door like a wraith.  
 

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Rufus arrived at work slightly later than usual due to an unscheduled meeting with Elena, Vincent and Cissnei, so it was almost 8.45am when he first called Tseng’s office and got no answer. With any other Turk he worked with Rufus might not have felt the immediate chill that shot through him when Tseng’s phone rang through to his voicemail, but for as long as he had known the Wutaiin Tseng had never failed to be in his office any later than precisely 8am. A feeling of foreboding slowly washing over him Rufus placed a call through to Tseng’s cellphone and when it immediately went to the answerphone without ringing Rufus gave in to the nagging intuition that told him that things had gone seriously wrong.

   
Rufus hung up his phone with slightly more force than was necessary and then stood for a moment, indecisive as to where and how he should start looking for his head Turk. Deciding that he would need to risk a trip to the mission noticeboards that were in the vicinity of Veld’s office, Rufus swore under his breath and then headed out. Rufus’ long stride carried him quickly through the nearly empty halls and soon he was standing in front of the notices with a faint expression of bewildered frustration on his face.

   
The top mission on the board said simply, ‘Tseng dispatched to classified location, no estimated time of return. Orders posted by Heidegger.’

   
For a moment incredulity flitted across Rufus’ face before he reclaimed his impassive façade and he couldn’t help but stare at the posting that contained an impossible lack of information about Tseng’s mission. Disbelief quickly gave way to suspicion however and Rufus turned abruptly away from the board to hunt down Heidegger and get the information from him himself. Stalking down the corridors that led to Heidegger’s office Rufus fought to keep a lid on the atypical disquiet and anger that threatened to swamp him.  
 

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As dawn broke over Midgar and the sun’s rays cut through the fog Reno awoke from a strange dream. In Reno’s dream Tseng had bent over him and kissed him on the mouth before giving him a sad smile and dissolving into mist and the emotions stirred by the dream meant that Reno opened his eyes with tears on his cheeks and the taste of Tseng still on his lips. Looking over to see that Tseng wasn’t still in bed or indeed anywhere in sight, Reno sat up slowly and immediately noticed the scrap of paper on the table beside the bed.

   
As he read the short note Reno’s heart sank in his chest, the fact that Tseng had left without saying goodbye leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. Throwing the note back onto the dresser Reno sat still for a moment and grappled with an intense mixture of worried and pissed, but after a few long minutes he smacked the bed in irritation and shoved himself up to get ready for work. Dressed in his uniform but looking even more rumpled than usual Reno set out through the sewers, his mind miles away and his thoughts preoccupied with worry for Tseng.  
 

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As far back as he could remember Rufus had despised the Director of Public Safety but somehow he managed to find deeper levels of loathing for Heidegger as he stood in front of his desk waiting for the man to acknowledge his presence. Finally, just as Rufus was about to lose his fabled cool, Heidegger tossed the papers he was reading aside and barked, ‘Well Rufus, I mean Sir, what do you want? I’m a very busy man you know.’

   
Completely hiding the fact that he could quite happily shoot the man in the face Rufus replied blandly, ‘I came in to work this morning to see a mission on the board that I had not been advised about, posted on your orders it appears. I realize that secrecy in a stealth mission is paramount, but I do insist on knowing the whereabouts of my Turks at all times. So tell me Director, where has Tseng been dispatched to and who is he killing this time?’

   
The smug smile that spread across Heidegger’s face sent a well concealed chill through Rufus and he listened intently as Heidegger rumbled, ‘Ah Rufus, you always did get too attached to your toys. I suppose you won’t just take my assurances that Tseng is being well monitored in a mission that should prove to be both low risk and extremely lucrative?’

   
Biting back an acerbic response Rufus leaned back in his chair and said mildly, ‘Much as I appreciate your personal guarantee Heidegger I need a place and name to put in Tseng’s file. If you would rather I can get the information from Veld, as I assume you spoke to him about appropriating one of his senior Turks…’

   
Heidegger’s smile grew wider and his voice took on an undertone of arrogance as he replied, ‘No need Rufus, no need, of course Veld knows _all_ about this. Tseng has been sent on a brief jaunt to Condor to take out one of the prominent drug lords who controls the area. V-, I thought that Tseng would be perfect to clean up all the loose ends and once the kingpin is out of the way ShinRa will poised to swoop in and control the drug trade in Condor for a large profit.’

   
As Heidegger droned on about his own cleverness Rufus nodded in the right places, but inside he felt the shadow of impending doom. It was subtle but Rufus had an unshakeable feeling that Heidegger was laughing at him behind his obsequious demeanour and from the small hints that Heidegger didn’t seem to care he was dropping, Rufus could only conclude that the mission had actually come from Veld himself. Impatient to leave but unwilling to let Heidegger see just how uneasy he was, Rufus finished the conversation on autopilot before curtly taking his leave and walking out with Heidegger’s gruff chuckle ringing in his ears.

   
The second the door clicked shut behind him Rufus whipped out his phone and even as he headed for his own apartment he placed a call each to Vincent, Cissnei and Elena. Even through the foreboding that he couldn’t seem to shake, Rufus still smiled grimly when he arrived at his quarters and found his three Turks already waiting for him. Letting himself into his plush residence Rufus waited for everyone to be seated and tried to work out where to start.

   
Leaning back against the table Rufus folded his arms and looked at each Turk in turn before saying bluntly, ‘I have underestimated Veld and I pray to Gaia that Tseng does not pay for my laxity. After our meeting this morning I discovered that Tseng was not in the office and in meeting with Heidegger who had purportedly commissioned him for an operation I became all but certain that has Veld found a way to send Tseng into danger. It is possible that Veld is onto us or else he is merely escalating his own madness, either way we must move as soon as possible to end this. Also, before anyone asks, Reno is not here and will not be told until I judge the time is right as I will not risk jeopardizing his mental stability if I can possibly avoid it.’

   
Falling silent Rufus watched his Turks carefully, looking for any sign of reluctance or fear and he was silently pleased with what he saw. Cissnei and Vincent simply exchanged a glance and nodded firmly in unison, but Elena was vibrating where she sat and looked like she was moments away from exploding into apocalyptic fury. The slight blonde woman looked up into Rufus’ face and growled ferociously, ‘That fucker is dead Rufus, Sir. If Tseng has so much as a papercut I will rip out Veld’s throat with my fucking teeth! Why are we still sitting here? Let’s go take the crazy fuck down!’

   
Ignoring the Elena’s informality Rufus allowed himself a small sigh and replied, ‘We will, as you put it, ‘take the crazy fuck down’ Elena. First however I must contact Rude to initiate our distraction for my father in Junon. This is sooner than I had planned for us to move, so I can only hope that Gaia is merciful and Rude has suffered no problems on his end.’

   
Without further delay Rufus pulled out his phone and placed the all-important call on speaker-phone, firmly reining in his undignified urge to tap his foot in impatience. Rude picked up after only four rings, but Rufus was chafing even at the short wait and couldn’t stop himself from snapping out, ‘Rude, our hand has been forced and we need to move. Tseng has been sent on a job that he is not meant to return from and we must put our plan into action before Veld manages to further endanger our people. How soon can you set my father’s place alight?’

   
It took a moment for Rude to wrap his head around what he had just be told and after a brief stunned silence his growl echoed in the quiet room as he said shortly, ‘Gaia-dammit all Rufus, what else can go wrong? Unless you are prepared to accept a large amount of collateral damage, I can’t detonate the explosives until 8pm at the earliest. Xiàrén has scouted the building and reported that before that time there are just too many cleaning staff to be able to confidently clear the place and avoid injuring people who have no stake in this fight.’

   
Rufus spat out a muffled obscenity that momentarily stopped Rude in his tracks but then the Turk continued in a noticeably strangled tone, ‘I’m sorry Sir… Rufus. I can’t do anything to help Tseng, but I know he wouldn’t sanction killing innocent bystanders just because we’ve been outplayed. Everything is set to blow as soon as the building is cleared… All I can do is light the place up as soon as I can.’

   
Caught between exasperation at the delay and admiration for Rude’s stoic statement of fact Rufus let out a slow breath and said brusquely, ‘Understood Rude, your focus does you credit. The moment my father leaves to investigate the explosion we will mobilize our part of the plan…’

   
Rufus’ outline of his strategy was suddenly interrupted when Rude abruptly snapped out, ‘I know the plan Rufus and I know what we have to do. You can punish me for insubordination once this is over _Sir_ , but right now all I want to hear from you is your assurance that you will find out where Tseng is and you will bring him home. No matter what you find.’

   
For a second Rufus felt a surge of anger at Rude’s aggressively disrespectful tone, but then his mind treated him to the memory of the man’s face when he had been told that his partner had nearly been killed again only a few days before. Reminding himself that he couldn’t expect his men to maintain the same level of self-control that he himself sustained, except maybe for Tseng, Rufus kept his face utterly blank and replied mildly, ‘You have my assurance Rude. I will not be sitting idle while my Turks fight for me. I trust in you all to bring down the menace that Veld has become and you can trust that I will find Tseng and bring him home.’  
 

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Leaving Elena and Cissnei in the apartment with Rufus, Vincent ghosted through Midgar towards ShinRa as invisibly as he knew how. Barely visible as a faint red blur and assisted in his stealth by the heavy clouds that covered the sun Vincent flitted through the back alleys of the city until he arrived at the back of the Turk headquarters. As soon as he found a hiding place in the shadows to study the building Vincent felt a wave of disquiet wash over him, as the ground level doors had all been closed with the security shutters lowered and behind the bulletproof windows he could see the shapes of what could be guards lurking inside.

   
Knowing that he had a certain amount of breathing space because of the delay on Rude’s end of the plan, Vincent moved from the cover of the alleyway he was in and slowly began to circle the towering building. As he came around to the side door that most ShinRa staff used, Vincent took note of the fact that the usually crowded carpark was almost empty even though it had only just gone 10 o’clock. Vincent’s eyes narrowed as suspicion became full-blown certainty in his mind and without further pause he headed back towards Rufus’ apartment as fast as he could.

   
While speeding through the city Vincent placed a call to a man he had come to know in passing from his short time with ShinRa and when the call was picked up he said, ‘Hello Reeve, it’s Vincent. I got in late to work today and the building is all locked up. I don’t suppose you know what’s going on?’

   
Vincent interest was piqued when his question elicited a sardonic chuckle and then Reeve replied, ‘Might as well go back home Vincent, whole building’s been evacuated. Half an hour ago word got passed around that a terrorist had infiltrated the building and Veld decided to get everyone out so he could hunt the spy down without interference. Between you and me though I think he thinks that the intruder had inside help and didn’t want any potential traitor helping the intruder to escape detection. Paranoid bastard.’

   
Knowing full well that there was no terrorist and that either Veld’s madness had truly shot to new heights or he was digging in for a pitched battle, Vincent bantered briefly with Reeve so as not to give away his awareness of the true nature of the situation. Once he hung up however Vincent stepped up his pace, racing to get back to Rufus so he could report this new and disturbing development. Arriving back at Rufus’ building in record time Vincent took a second to straighten himself up and then knocked firmly on the door.  
 

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Rufus was deep in discussion with Cissnei and Elena when the knock sounded at the door and a fleeting frown crossed his face as he got up to see who it was. When he glanced through the hidden peephole in the door Rufus’ scowl grew deeper and he yanked open the door to allow the troubled looking Vincent inside. Before Vincent could even get himself together or open his mouth Rufus said tersely, ‘I assume there is something wrong Vincent or else you wouldn’t be back so quickly. What’s happened?’

   
Ignoring the chair that Rufus gestured to Vincent folded his arms and replied without pause, ‘Probably a few minutes after you left headquarters Sir, Veld called for a building-wide evacuation. Citing terrorist infiltration he sent everyone home and locked down the whole building, I saw armed guards patrolling the ground floors before I judged that our plan was blown and came back to report.’

   
Although his face remained as impassive as ever Rufus cursed viciously in the privacy of his own head. First with Tseng’s absence and dubious status and now with Veld being firmly barricaded in one of the most fortified places in Midgar, Rufus knew he was going to have to ditch the original plan and start from scratch. Normally Rufus would relish the chance to pit his considerable intellect against a canny and unpredictable foe, but with so many of his valued associates in significant danger he could only feel a strange kind of nebulous dread.

   
There was a long silence in the wake of Vincent’s words and then the room exploded with noise. Cissnei immediately began questioning Vincent about the measures taken by Veld to seal the HQ building and Elena let out a long, vehement curse in the native language of her people from the Northern Continent before slamming her fist on the table and turning her glare on Rufus. In contrast to her outburst Elena’s voice sounded fragile as she said, ‘Sir, Rufus, what do we do? How can we break into ShinRa when Veld and your father pretty much designed its defenses?’

   
Rufus had been grappling with exactly the same thought, but when Elena turned to him with such worry on her pretty face he forced confidence into his tone and said firmly, ‘Go into my office at the end of the hall and look in the bottom drawer of my desk. I have the original building plans somewhere in there and we can use them to start working out a way in. Get as much information as you can from Vincent about the guards Veld has hired and I will assist you once I’ve made a phone call.’

   
Smiling a strained but approving smile when Elena nodded quickly and ran off down the hallway Rufus slipping out of the lounge into the kitchen and placed a call to Scarlet, hoping that the volatile Head of Weapons hadn’t lost her temper again and broken yet another company phone. When Scarlet picked up with an irritated bark after only two rings Rufus dispensed with pleasantries and said shortly, ‘I don’t have time for explanations Scarlet, I need you to answer a couple of questions. Firstly, are you aware of the situation over in the other building?’

   
Scarlet’s voice came raucously through the speaker causing Rufus to grimace and hold the phone away from his ear as she bellowed, ‘Kya ha ha! Old Veld thinks he has an assassin or something running around the place and he’s going after the poor little fly with a bazooka. Pity he’s only called the evacuation for his own building, the selfish old sod, I could have used the day off myself.’

   
Biting his tongue at Scarlet’s informal manner Rufus interrupted her rambling saying, ‘I understand your workload is large Director, and if you are in need of a break I will have a look at your vacation allowance when time allows. My next questions however are urgent and are: is Reno at work right now and is he aware of what is happening?’

   
Scarlet’s laugh cracked through the phone again and she chuckled, ‘Oh Rufus, kya ha ha you have no idea. Reno wouldn’t notice if Gaia herself showed up in a garter belt and suspenders and gave him a lapdance. I don’t know what’s wrong with that red-haired moron but he’s been drifting around like concussed chocobo all morning. I assume you have your reasons for keeping him in the dark so I’ll make sure he is clueless just as long as you promise to have a little play with my holidays. Maybe you could even join me in Costa del Sol sometime kya ha ha…’

   
Holding back a sigh of relief Rufus thanked Scarlet and hung up on her in mid-giggle, mercifully cutting off the woman’s obnoxious laugh and nauseating innuendo. Allowing his sigh to escape while he was alone in the quiet kitchen Rufus firmly pulled himself together and strode back out to the living room. Rufus’ sharp gaze settled on the three Turks who were bent over the old blueprints of ShinRa spread all over the table and he squared his shoulders, turning his diamond-tipped focus onto creating a new plan.  
 

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Reno let himself in the front door of the safehouse and moved through into the lounge like a sleepwalker. Though the redhead had made it to the weapons lab and gone through the motions of the working day, he was utterly unable to recall even the name of any project he had worked on let alone any of the specifics. Slumping onto the couch Reno fell into a semi doze and it took the loud roar of a car passing the house to snap him back into panicky wakefulness. Wide turquoise eyes quickly noted the extreme lack of Tseng in the room, but then Reno’s gaze fell on the wall-clock that read almost 7.30pm and a bolt of terror shook him to his core.

   
Stripped of his usual grace by the fear that flooded his veins Reno tumbled off the couch and hit the floor on his hands and knees, barely able to breathe. Even a couple of months earlier Reno wouldn’t have thought twice about Tseng being late back from a mission, but the combination of the Veld clusterfuck and his feelings for Tseng meant that all sorts of panicked voices were going off in Reno’s brain. Trying to control of his racing heart Reno shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone, managing to get Rufus’ number right on the third try.

   
The interval before Rufus picked up his phone was less that fifteen seconds, but the delay ran rough-shod over Reno’s last nerve. When Rufus picked up the call Reno was simply unable to stop himself from snapping harshly, ‘Tseng went on a mission yo and he hasn’t come back. Do you know where he is? What the fuck do you know about this yo?’

   
Peripherally aware that he was yelling at Rufus ‘Fucking Scary’ Shinra, Reno clamped his mouth shut and gritted his teeth. Rufus’ voice sounded disturbingly abrupt and his tone was almost a snarl as he barked back, ‘Remember who are you are talking to Reno. I will let it slide once, but only this once. Heidegger sent Tseng on a mission early this morning and as far as I am aware Reno, Ts-Tseng is still completing that mission in Condor.’

   
At first Reno flinched at the unfamiliar sound of anger in Rufus’ usually composed voice, but the tiny falter as Rufus said Tseng’s name froze the redhead to the spot, an eerie calm settling over him. The certainty that Rufus was lying to him washed over Reno in an icy wave and with the exceptional stress he was under he found his thoughts flickering swiftly and with crystal clarity. In a tone completely devoid of emotion or inflection Reno said flatly, ‘It wasn’t Heidegger that sent Tseng, was it. Tseng is missing and the trap is closing in around… Veld…’

   
Whatever Rufus tried to say in response was lost as Reno’s phone dropped from his numb fingers. For the space of ten thudding heartbeats Reno stood staring blindly into space, but once he snapped back to the here now he moved in a blur as he stooped to grab his phone off the floor and flick it shut. The look on Reno’s face was a heart-breaking mix of dread and helplessness and with a harsh, wordless cry he hurled his phone at the wall so hard that it exploded in a shower of plastic shards.

   
The crash of the phone hitting the wall had the effect of jolting Reno’s brain back into high gear and in the time it took to draw breath he had snatched up his EMR and vanished out of the house into the night. Reno’s long legs stretched into a loping run and as he ran Evil Reno screamed at him louder than ever before. The voice in Reno’s head shrieked in malevolent glee, ‘Why are you running slumrat? Odds are your precious Tseng bled out hours ago in the backstreets of Condor all alone. He’s dead Ren-Ren and his blood is on your hands! Where are you going huh? You’re nothing more than a dead man walking!’


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy.**

At the same time that Reno had been mindlessly auto-piloting his way through work, Tseng was having a rather more eventful time of things. About when Reno was sitting at the lab bench and inhaling his sixth coffee of the day, Tseng was taking cover behind a crumbling brick wall in the ghettos of Condor and listening to the whine of bullets flying overhead. Breathing hard and trying to slow his heartrate Tseng swore silently at the realization that the comprehensive ambush that he had walked into could have only been achieved with inside help.

   
Tseng sent a brief thank you to Gaia that he had had the foresight to over-pack for what was meant to have been a quick and easy target elimination. Firing off a couple of rounds to give himself breathing space he pulled a handful of destruct materia out of his pocket. The second Tseng sensed the inevitable reload lull in the barrage he popped up from behind the wall and hurled the four dark green spheres in a wide arc, attempting to spread the damage as wide as possible. The materia exploded violently among the startled men and amidst the screams and disarray Tseng took off running, dodging into the narrow alleyways and becoming just another shadow in the dim passages.

   
Rounding a sharp corner at a speed that would have done a chocobo proud Tseng was moving so fast that he had no chance of avoiding what he saw waiting for him. At the end of the narrow alleyway in front of him Tseng could see a band of four thugs armed with guns and dangerous looking knives and even as he skidded to a halt and turned Tseng felt his heart sink. Behind him, blocking the mouth of the lane were five more enemy fighters and Tseng cursed at his own stupidity for blundering into another trap.

   
In the precious instant he had before his enemies’ reactions kicked in Tseng made a split-second decision and racked his gun as he took off again, forcing even more speed from his aching legs. Even as the first shots rang out from in front of him Tseng dodged sharply to the side and spun smoothly, squeezing off three quick shots as he pirouetted around and kept running. A guttural cry of pain brought a grim smile to Tseng’s face but his expression swiftly turned serious as he nerved himself for what he was about to do next.

   
Heading straight for the four men who were firing wildly at him Tseng yanked his last destruct materia out of his pocket aand threw it hard at the building that formed the left wall of the alleyway. The explosion threw two of the gang fighters to the ground and the falling rubble snuffed out their screams even as Tseng nailed the third man right between the eyes with his last bullet. Unfortunately for the Wutaiin, the fourth man kept both his feet and his weapon and took the necessary time to aim his shot, the bullet ripping through Tseng’s torso and lodging just below his right ribcage.

   
Tseng’s momentum allowed him to crash headlong into the other fighter and as they both fell to the ground he pulled a hidden knife out of his jacket and buried it deep in the man’s throat. Staggering to his feet with his hand pressed hard against the bloody hole in his side Tseng ignored the nausea that washed over him and he pushed himself into a stumbling run, very aware that the four remaining fighters were right on his heels. Jinking left and right and dodging down random alleys in an attempt to make himself a more difficult target Tseng gritted his teeth and prayed to Gaia for some sort of miracle.

   
No miracle fell from heaven for Tseng, but what seemed like a year later he finally heard the shouts of his pursuers fading away to the right and far behind him. Slowing his pace slightly and taking a second to look around Tseng couldn’t hold in a short sigh of relief when he realized that he had somehow managed to end up very near one of the strategically placed Turk boltholes that had been established in every city in case of emergency. Just as Tseng allowed himself the luxury of an instant of optimism, a tiny sound behind him warned him that celebration was premature.

   
As they had so many times before Tseng’s well-honed senses saved his life and he ducked and spun just as a glittering knife hissed through the space his head had been a moment before. Stripped of his customary grace by the bullet wound that sapped his strength, Tseng’s attempt to dart out of the way was a lot slower than he had intended and his enemy’s second strike lodged the blade of the man’s knife deep in his back just above his shoulder-blade. A grunt of pain escaped Tseng as he twisted away; though he couldn’t see the injury he knew that it was serious and he could tell that if he didn’t end things quickly he might very well find himself overmatched.

   
The knife-fighter grinned arrogantly at Tseng and moved forward to dispatch the man he saw as wounded and easy prey, the last mistake he would ever make. Limping awkwardly to appear defenseless Tseng waited for his chance and as the knife lanced towards his chest he spun to the side and looped his arm around the other man’s forearm, using his momentum to snap the limb at the elbow with a sickening crack. As his opponent screamed in pain and dropped his knife Tseng expended the last of his strength and wrapped his arm around the helpless man’s neck, breaking his spine in a single wild jerk.

   
Letting the body drop heavily to the floor and trying grimly not to pass out as the knife ground sickeningly against his shoulder blade Tseng lurched over to the wall and propped himself up until the spinning in his head slowed a little. Forcing himself to get moving before the adrenaline wore off and his wounds overcame him Tseng staggered unsteadily on until he reached the secret entrance of the Turk shelter. Tseng barely got the door locked and bolted behind him before his strength gave out and he fell to his hands and knees panting harshly. With the last of his reserves utterly exhausted Tseng swiped weakly at the emergency beacon that sat on a shelf just out of reach, but all he managed to do as he blacked out was set the beacon teetering right on the lip of the ledge.  
 

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Heavy clouds made the Midgar night strange and murky, the shadowy fog only illuminated dimly by the ever-present glow of the mako reactors. Racing through the city at a headlong sprint Reno ignored the dark and the chill, utterly intent on his purpose. Minutes after his conversation with Rufus, Reno skidded to a halt in front of the Turk headquarters and he was so out of his mind that he would have thrown himself recklessly at the front entrance had a hand not suddenly clamped around his arm and dragged him back into the shadows.

   
Despite the immediate and paralyzing certainty that Veld had somehow manage to ambush him Reno did not have the reputation as one of ShinRa’s most dangerous Turks for nothing. Even as he staggered backwards into the dark gap between buildings Reno thumbed on his EMR, spinning around swiftly and lashing out with a snake-like strike at his assailant’s head. Usually Reno’s speed outstripped any unfortunate he was matched against, so when his wrist was caught before his blow made contact the surprise stopped him dead for a startled second.

   
Reno blinked at the red-cloaked man who stood in front of him holding his arm in a hand that appeared to be a strange metal claw and then his attacker was talking in a low voice saying urgently, ‘I know you don’t know me Reno but I know who you are. My name is Vincent and my partner and I are working with Rufus to bring down Veld. Rufus sent me to intercept you because we have a plan in motion…’

   
As Vincent spoke Reno’s brain caught up with what was going on and the redhead narrowed his eyes to hear that Rufus had sent someone to babysit him. Yanking his arm away from the man’s grip Reno interrupted abruptly snarling, ‘I don’t fucking have time for this yo, I’m going to kill him. If you’re not going to help me then fuck off but don’t fucking get in my way or I will take you the fuck out yo.’

   
Even though Reno's grip on himself was rapidly slipping he was still able to vaguely admire Vincent’s determination as the man set his jaw and shook his head. Holding Reno’s gaze the dark haired man stated firmly, ‘I’m here because we need to wait Reno. To even look like succeeding we have to get President Shinra out the way so that Veld has no protection and your friend Rude has told us pretty definitively that he can’t set that part of the plan in motion for at least another half hour. Reno… There’s nothing you can do right now but wait, I will not let you run in there to get shot down.’

   
Reno stared blankly at Vincent and simply refused to accept the other man’s measured and implacably logical words. Throwing caution and dignity to the winds Reno pulled one last cynical trick out of his bag, the truth. No longer trying to hide the desperation in his voice Reno met Vincent’s eyes and said shakily, ‘Please, you have to help me yo. You don’t know what he’s done, what he’s taken from me… I don’t care that Rufus will fire me and I don’t give a fuck about his plan. I have to face him yo, I _have_ to take Veld down. I can’t… He took away everything I have, everything I am Vincent, I have to do this yo.’

   
There was an echoing silence in the wake of Reno’s frantic words and he stared into Vincent’s piercing gaze, mutely pleading for the other man’s understanding. The longer Vincent remained silent, the harder Reno’s pulse pounded in his veins and then when the man’s gaze abruptly shifted to focus on something behind him, Reno thought that his heart was going to explode. Even as Reno whipped his head around to see what Vincent was looking at, a young, auburn haired woman walked around into view and held up her hands calmly to show that she was holding no visible weapon.

   
Reno froze where he was, his hand clenched tightly around his EMR, unsure if the sudden young woman posed a threat or if she was a friend. Before Reno could jump to the wrong conclusion the woman moved to stand next to Vincent and said quietly, ‘I’m Cissnei and I’m on your side Reno. Rufus sent me after Vincent in case you needed to be restrained… But I do not believe I agree with our leader’s assessment of the situation in this case.’

   
As Reno gaped at her speechlessly Cissnei turned to Vincent and said bluntly, ‘I was listening to what he said Vin, I believe he has the right to face down the monster who is waiting for us. Even when we find a way into HQ we will still need to cut our way through Veld’s men to reach him and if we have a fighter who can slip around the battle we may even end this without too many more casualties racked up in that bastard’s name. Vincent, please, we both know what it’s like to have something precious taken from us… He deserves the chance to balance the pain.’  
 

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Elena had watched Cissnei run out of Rufus’ apartment to stop Reno from messing up the plan and she had been forced to clamp down on the surge of rebellious anger. Much as the blonde Turk wanted to follow after the other woman and make sure that Reno wasn’t doing something incredibly stupid, she also knew that someone needed to put in the brain work to give their plan the best chance of success. Unconsciously muttering under her breath in her native tongue Elena turned once again to the pile of blueprints in front of her and got back to work.

   
As Elena pored over the building plans and tried to divine a route that would get her and her co-rebels into the fortress she could hear Rufus behind her as he continued making calls in the hope of locating Tseng. Even though she was focused on the task at hand Elena couldn’t close her ears to the sounds of Rufus beginning to lose his cool and she shivered when a particularly vicious curse was followed by the thud of Rufus slamming his phone down on the table. Shivering at the thought of what might be happening to make Rufus lose his hold on himself Elena turned all of her attention to the blueprints and doggedly searched for a way in.  
 

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For once Rufus was unaware of the crucial developments involving some of his Turks, as he was in the process of discovering just how difficult it was to locate a single Turk on an undercover mission in the midst of a region split by a drug war. Rufus had cultivated a network of informants that had operatives in every main city on the Planet and also more than a few of the smaller villages dotting the face of the world, but now that he needed to tap into his Condor agents Rufus was finding that his network had suffered badly in the gang battles. Even when Rufus finally spoke with one of his men he was only further frustrated to know that no one had seen hide nor hair of Tseng.

   
Although most of Rufus’ focus was on somehow discovering just where the hell Tseng was, a small part of his mind couldn’t help but stew over how Vincent and Cissnei might be dealing with the distressed Reno. Rufus had just hung up his fifteenth unproductive call to Condor and tossed his phone onto the desk in frustration when a noise broke the quiet of the room and jerked him back to himself. Stalking over to his desk and sitting in front of his vidscreen Rufus pushed the button to accept the call and glared at the image of Rude that appeared before him.

   
A slight scowl betraying a tiny measure of his aggravation Rufus kept his mouth shut as Rude snapped smartly, ‘We triggered the bombs ten minutes ago Sir and Yuffie just intercepted radio chatter that confirmed that the president has left Midgar. Apparently he was disturbed enough by the attack to take all twelve of his security team in his executive helicopter and they will be arriving in Junon in less than an hour. You need to move now Sir, this will be the best chance we have.’

   
Shoving aside his exasperation and niggling worry about his Turks Rufus smiled a thin-lipped, humourless smile and replied, ‘Good work Rude, thank you. You will have a fight on your hands very shortly and I trust that you will keep my father occupied for as long as it takes. Oh and Rude? Bear in mind that if you see fit to scare some caution into our illustrious president I would be in your debt.’

   
Rude nodded jerkily and Rufus could tell that the man was thinking about the welfare of his friends by the way he unconsciously gnawed on the inside of his lip. Rude’s words were quiet but intense as he asked, ‘Sir, have you had any news about Tseng? And does… Does Reno know what’s happening? How is he…?’

   
Shutting his eyes for a second Rufus debated what to tell Rude, but he quickly came to the decision that the man did not deserve a lie. Opening his eyes and meeting Rude’s gaze levelly Rufus said, ‘I will not lie to you Rude, the news is not good. There has been no progress in locating Tseng and I currently have Vincent and Cissnei posted at ShinRa because I have concerns that Reno may try and breach the lockdown on his own. I made the mistake thinking that I would be able to keep Reno in the dark about Tseng’s situation and now my intuition tells me he will go after Veld.’

   
Rufus had prepared himself for some sort of explosive reaction from Rude, but he was totally wrong-footed when the bald Turk slumped forward where he was sitting, pulled off his sunglasses and looked him in the eye saying in a whisper, ‘I know that you tried to keep Reno out of this and I know that there’s no stopping him when he decides something. But please don’t stop looking for Tseng. If anyone can survive Veld’s insanity it’s him…’

   
The naked plea in Rude’s voice pierced Rufus’ guard and even managed to touch his well shielded heart. Swallowing hard Rufus managed to keep his tone level as he said, ‘I swear to you Rude, the moment I confirm that Veld is no longer breathing I will channel all the resources at my disposal into bringing Tseng home. Fight hard Turk, because I will need you by my side when we set out for Condor.’

   
Rufus privately thanked Gaia when he saw the glow of resolve that his words rekindled in Rude’s eyes and he returned the other man’s nod as the vidscreen faded to black. There was a beat of silence as Rufus steeled for what was to come, but then Elena’s voice broke the quiet and she asked unsteadily, ‘Can we move out Sir? I’ve found what I think is the one way we can get in without Veld knowing…’

   
Turning to face the nervously determined young woman Rufus favoured Elena with small but genuine smile and replied, ‘Show me the way in Elena and I will relay it to Vincent and Cissnei. If you leave now then you shouldn’t miss too much of the action. I will not be joining you as I have a promise to keep, but I know that my Turks will make sure that Veld does not live to see another morning. Now, tell me of this secret way that will penetrate Veld’s fortress.’  
 

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In the cold alleyway Vincent leaned against the brick wall with his arms folded and tried not to glare at Cissnei and Reno who were holding a sporadic conversation about possible tactics that could be used when the call finally came through. Vincent was worrying about Rufus’ reaction when he eventually found out about their planned deception, but more than that his mind kept coming back to the possibility that this decision could get them all killed. The brooding Turk was still wrestling with himself when his phone buzzed silently in his pocket, notifying him that the deciding moment had been reached.

   
Glancing round the group Vincent caught Reno’s gaze and the look of desperate intensity in the redhead’s eyes made him pause in the act of reaching for his phone. Unable to tear his gaze away from Reno’s mute plea Vincent fumbled with his phone and answered with a curt, ‘Sir?’

   
Vincent went silent for a few seconds as Rufus relayed the updated plan and in the thick silence both Cissnei and Reno could hear Rufus’ next question, ‘So Vincent, have you found Reno? Has he tried to get to Veld yet?’

   
His eyes locked with Reno’s Vincent murmured without more than an instant’s hesitation, ‘We haven’t seen him Sir. Both Cissnei and I have been patrolling the building but there’s been no sign of him. We will finish this and once it’s done I will hunt for your Turk to make sure he’s still breathing.’

   
While Reno closed his eyes and sagged against the wall in relief Vincent concluded the call and hung up, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Hiding his worry behind an iron-clad façade Vincent said, ‘Elena found a way in through the sewers and Rufus has confirmed that President Shinra is on route to Junon. I hope you’re ready for this Reno, because we are not going to stop until Veld is taken down once and for all.’  
 

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When Vincent pulled out his phone to answer what could only be _the_ call from Rufus, Reno snapped his gaze up to meet the other man’s unnerving red eyes. Feeling as if his world was crumbling under his feet Reno couldn’t summon even a trace of his usual bravado and he simply stared at Vincent silently with helpless dread written all over his face. Vincent’s words, when he finally spoke, gobsmacked Reno so totally that he couldn’t believe what his ears seemed to be telling him.

   
Collapsing against the bricks with relief flooding through his body Reno tried to shunt his brain into gear so the he could express to Vincent just how grateful he was for the other Turk’s lie. While Reno was still floundering for words, Cissnei pushed herself away from her spot on the wall and with a small smile on her face walked towards Vincent. Leaning forward Cissnei brushed a quick kiss across Vincent’s cheek and whispered to the stunned man, ‘You’re a good man Vincent Valentine, you made the right choice. Now let’s go kick some psychotic arse and if you’re good I might take you for a beer afterward.’

   
Even in the midst of his emotional turmoil Reno still couldn’t help snorting at the way Vincent stared at Cissnei as if he had been slapped in the face. Gathering what remained of his cockiness and self-assurance Reno clapped Vincent on the shoulder and winked at Cissnei saying confidently, ‘Now now yo, we have a mission. And you’ll probably be pleased to know that I think I know the way in through the sewers that you said Elena found. Every day I’ve gone into the weapons labs through those damn sewers, and I’d be a piss-poor Turk if I didn’t know that there’s an offshoot that heads out under Turk HQ yo.’

   
Ignoring the way that the other two were staring at him like he had grown a second head Reno squared his shoulders and started walking in the direction of the grate that marked the entrance to the sewers. Already beginning to consider the possibilities of what might happen when he emerged into Veld’s territory Reno was startled when Vincent suddenly materialized to his left and Cissnei appeared to his right, both Turks matching him stride for determined stride. With the welcome feeling of not being alone wrapped around him, Reno broke into a loping run, suddenly eager to bring the fight to the man who had nearly destroyed him.  
 

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The second that Rufus gestured to indicate she was free to leave Elena was out the door and racing to join her friends in their battle. Not able to wait for the elevator to get up to Rufus’ floor Elena crashed into the stairwell and skittered nimbly down the stairs, checking her gun and extra clips as she went. As she hit the ground floor and burst into the night Elena slid her hands around the waistband of her pants to check the secret weapons that she always carried and then she put on an extra turn of speed, dashing into the darkness.

   
Because she had never actually entered the sewers it took Elena longer than she would have liked to locate the grate beside an innocuous footpath almost a block from ShinRa. Breathing hard and trying to ignore the stitch in her side Elena finally caught sight of a storm drain cover that was slightly ajar and with a panted sigh of relief she skidded to a halt by the iron grating. Though she was slightly built Elena had always been stronger than she looked and with a single heave she tossed the heavy grate out of the way and vanished underground.

   
Running flat out through the dank, echoing tunnel Elena focused half of her mind on remembering which turns to take while the rest of her brain took the opportunity to regale her with everything that could go wrong. By the time Elena was approaching the final bend before the ladder that led to the surface she was gritting her teeth against the flashing images of blood and death that haunted her thoughts. Stopping abruptly at the bottom of the ladder Elena slapped her hand against the wall and growled to empty air, ‘Like fuck! The only ones to die will be Veld and any idiot stupid enough to stand near him!’


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Thanks for your patience on that cliff-hanger... I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'm working on it :)  
>  Note: I’ve already played fast and loose with the configuration of ShinRa Headquarters, turning it into several smaller buildings. Now I’m giving a little more detail on how big they are etc… Just letting you know so you don’t shoot me.**

Only minutes after ducking into the sewers Reno emerged into a pitch black, disused basement, quickly followed by Vincent and Cissnei, both of whom were breathing hard at the pace the redhead had kept up through the tunnels. Reno reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty, battered, old lighter, flicking it alight and holding it up so that everyone could see each other in the small, wavering light. Smiling a lopsided smirk that was almost his old grin Reno said in a low voice, ‘So, what now yo?’

   
With the grim humour that most Turks cultivated in the face of danger Cissnei gestured for Vincent to take the stage and flourished an arm briefly in a mock bow. Rolling his eyes at his partner’s theatrics, Vincent cleared his throat and answered, ‘The idea is to come out as fast as possible and blow through the lower levels before they know what’s hit them. Rufus gave me some materia that should help us and there is some good news. When I first scouted the building I noticed a flaw in Veld’s defences, levels three through seven are only blocked off and seem to have no guards at all.’

   
At this point Cissnei jumped in with her two gil and murmured, ‘The only problem is that we have no idea what Veld has rigged on the upper levels. Assuming that the lunatic has barricaded himself on one of the topmost floors, we will have to go in blind and just hope that there aren’t any surprises there that we can’t handle.’

   
The flickering light of the flame cast strange shadows on Reno’s face and his eyes glittered with malice as he growled, ‘Can’t handle shit yo. No matter what he’s set for us I don’t care… He could have let loose a horde of Behemoths in the upper levels for all I care yo, I won’t stop until that fuck is dead on the ground.’  
 

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Although Vincent thought he was being subtle, Cissnei had caught his every lingering glance and noted every time he had bitten his tongue at Rufus’ dangerous plans. In the short time she had been working side by side with the reserved and enigmatic man Cissnei had actually found herself developing feelings for him and it had come as no surprise for her when realization dawned that she was in fact well on the way to falling in love with Vincent. It was thanks to her own feelings and her innate perceptiveness therefore that Cissnei knew exactly how Vincent was feeling in the last tense moments before they charged out into the ground floor of ShinRa HQ.

   
As she burst into the room Cissnei was already hurling her wickedly sharp shuriken at the guard she had seen standing by the window when they were waiting in the alley. Cissnei dimly registered her guard dying before he even managed to turn his gun in her direction but most of her attention was on whipping out her own gun and covering Vincent who was in the process of methodically sniping the sentries stationed on the other side of the floor. Out of the corner of her eye Cissnei caught a glimpse of motion and her mouth dropped open at what she saw.  
 

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When Cissnei and Vincent had broken left to join the attack, Reno had frozen to the spot for a brief second having laid eyes on the three men lounging against the wall to his right. Reno sucked in a breath as a flashback flickered through his mind, his brain treating him to the image of all three men leering at him from the doorway at one point or other as Veld methodically beat the living shit out of him during their ‘sessions’. Moving swiftly, with malevolence burning in his eyes, Reno was on the men before they knew he was there.

   
Like a force of nature Reno cannoned into the first man hard enough to throw him into the wall to land in a crumpled heap, his neck tilted at an unnatural angle. Rebounding off the wall Reno spun in a smooth motion and lashed out with his EMR so viciously that his second opponent was hurled into his comrade, his body convulsing from the jolt of electricity and with blood from his broken mouth and teeth splattering on the floor. With cold rage glowing in his eyes Reno walked toward the last guard who was struggling to heave himself out from under the body of his friend.

   
Reno’s face was contorted in a rictus of hate as he stalked towards the man in front of him and he was beyond noticing that Vincent and Cissnei had dispatched their foes and were watching helplessly from across the room. Tossing his EMR to the side Reno yanked his gun out of its holster and without hesitation put a bullet between the terrified guard’s eyes before turning to the other two motionless bodies and making sure they would never get up again. The echoes of the gun shots rang around the silent room and in the quiet Reno simply stood and stared at the bodies at his feet.

   
The feeling of triumph and power quickly drained away from Reno as he gazed down at the guards he had so pitilessly dispatched to be replaced by a sickening emptiness in the pit of his stomach. Avoiding Vincent’s penetrating stare and looking away from the disturbed look on Cissnei’s pretty face Reno turned away and tried to push away the feeling of savage joy he had felt at snuffing out the three lives. In a harsh voice that sounded like it belonged to someone else Reno growled, ‘We need to move yo. The guards V-Veld posted will have heard us and they’ll be ready. Or so they think.’

   
From behind him Reno felt Vincent move and he shivered but determinedly held back a flinch as the other man laid his hand on his shoulder. Still caught in the disgust he felt for himself over the satisfaction he had got out of killing the three men, Reno heard Vincent’s words dimly through the echoing in his head, ‘You did what you had to do Reno. Don’t think that I don’t know what it’s like to kill in retribution… You can’t lose yourself to this. Don’t let him take anything more from you than he already has.’

   
The understanding that was so evident in Vincent’s quiet words wiped away Reno’s façade of bravado in an instant and he couldn’t hide the shudder that wracked his body. Turning to face the other two Turks, but refusing to meet their eyes Reno said flatly, ‘I lost control yo and I have no excuse for it. No more. I don’t care what’s between him and me, his will be the only life I take yo. Will you… Can you do this with me? I can feel my mind trying to think like him and I can’t… We can’t turn into him yo.’

   
An explosive release of breath from Cissnei made Reno snap his head up to look at the woman and he stared at her as she said firmly, ‘You don’t know how glad I am you said that Reno. I’d have hated having to take you down. Let’s take a moment now to re-calibrate our strategy and then we can move out and up.’

   
Unable to find words to express the chaotic emotions churning in his chest Reno simply stared at Cissnei with undisguised gratitude in his eyes and nodded sharply. Forcing his traitorous voice to work Reno murmured with a trace of his old humour, ‘I’d hate that too yo, might put a crimp in my style. Okay, so what have we got that we can use to fuck up Veld’s cronies without sending their sorry arses back to the Lifestream?’  
 

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When Elena reached the end of the sewer tunnel and peeked out of the basement door she froze for a second at the devastation that greeted her. Quickly forcing aside the shock of seeing the dead guards strewn across the floor Elena forced extra speed from her tired muscles, determined to arrive in time to help her friends. Dashing over to the stairwell Elena paused for a second to check her weapon and then bounded up the stairs two at a time.

   
The second level of the building surprised Elena because there was no sign of the carnage from downstairs and it was only after she looked around carefully that she saw the sentries. A mirthless smile spread across Elena’s face at the sight of the unconscious pile of low level grunts and she turned back to the stairs once again, secure in the knowledge that there was no threat left behind her. Keeping up her punishing pace Elena moved on upwards, hoping to catch Vincent and Cissnei on the next floor.

   
Elena’s arrival on the third floor was quite dramatic as she almost burst out of the stairwell into the green haze that blanketed the room before her outflung hand snagged on the doorframe and arrested her headlong rush. Eyeing the subtle emerald glow that hung in the air, Elena pulled a sense materia out of her pocket and she blinked in surprise to see that one of her fellow rebels had employed a very rare seal materia to incapacitate the guards. Because the magical fallout had only just begun to fade from the air, Elena could tell that her friends weren’t too far ahead and she spun around to head up the stairs before pulling up short once again.

   
The view that greeted Elena as she approached the stairwell to the next floor almost provoked an explosive curse before she remembered the need to keep quiet and bit her tongue hard. What Elena had forgotten in her rush to catch up with the other Turks was that Veld had attempted to isolate the upper floors by using a destruct materia to block the staircases off with impenetrable rubble. Her brow furrowed in thought Elena crept back into the doorway to the third floor and it was only then that her sharp eyes noticed a ventilation cover lying on the floor next to what looked like a pile of rags.

   
Knowing Reno as well as she did Elena was immediately able to make an educated guess as to how her friends had circumvented Veld’s defenses and without hesitation she tiptoed silently into the room, taking great care not to make any noise or fast motion that might break the effect that the seal materia had cast on the comatose guards. Once she reached the open ventilation duct Elena picked up the shreds of cloth that were all that remained of a Turk issue shirt and wrapped the material around her shoes to muffle any sound, only then pausing to nerve herself for the audacious move she was about to make.

   
Drawing on all the skills she had badgered Reno into teaching her when she had first started as a Turk Elena slipped into the air vent and began the tricky climb. Her agility allowing her to move swiftly upwards and her determination spurring her onward Elena made the vertical climb in a little over twenty minutes, stopping once she reached the seventh floor hatch and taking the time to observe and gauge exactly what she was walking into. Elena’s evaluation of the situation started out as a cold assessment but then she saw something unexpected that froze the blood in her veins; pinned behind a pillar by heavy gunfire looking haggard and grim was none other than Reno.

   
In a split second Elena was out of the air duct and sprinting across the room towards Reno, firing as fast as her finger could pull the trigger. The sudden barrage of bullets that smashed into the wall by the startled guards gave Elena the opening that she needed and three breathless seconds later she was shoulder to shoulder with Reno in his small place of shelter. Elena didn’t give Reno a chance to speak, the slight blonde woman snapping out brusquely, ‘What the fuck are you doing here Reno? Fuck… You made Vincent lie to Rufus didn’t you! What the fuck is going on?’

   
As always in the face of Elena’s ire Reno simply offered an affectionate half-smile and said, ‘Hello to you ‘Lena, I’ve missed you yo. I’m sorry for all of this yo, but I have to take Veld down and Vincent and Cissnei agreed to help me. It has to be me Elena… If I could just get past these bastards I could end this all for good yo. I saw Veld hightail it for the roof yo and the fucker has nowhere else to go.’

   
In the depths of Reno’s intense turquoise eyes Elena could see adamant resolve mixed with a reckless desperation and she found that she didn’t have it in her to stand in her friend’s way. Snapping a quick look to the left Elena saw that Cissnei was engaging Katana while Vincent battled Lièqiāng and in the privacy of her head she took a second to curse Veld for employing the most vicious of the independent mercenaries in Midgar. Sizing up her options Elena could really only see one alternative and ignoring Reno for the moment she shoved a fresh magazine into her gun and cocked it quickly.

   
Glancing back to meet Reno’s gaze Elena graced him with a fleeting smile before leaping to her feet and hurling a destruct materia at the five enemy fighters. While the men were distracted Elena shoved Reno in the direction of the stairs that lead to the roof and then she sprinted out into view, drawing the fire of her rattled opponents. Dodging erratically and firing over her shoulder as she raced for the cover of the next pillar Elena caught glimpse of Reno’s tail of red hair vanishing in the direction of the roof and she sent a hurried prayer to Gaia that he and all her friends would survive to see the following morning.  
 

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Seeing Elena appear by his side as if by magic rendered Reno momentarily speechless but her characteristic snark brought a genuine grin to his face. When his words seemed to strike a chord in the volatile blonde Reno could only sit stunned for a second, but then Elena almost threw him towards the stairs and his paralysis broke. Ducking low, Reno darted swiftly into the dark stairwell that led upward and as he ran he held in his mind’s eye the image of Elena running headlong into danger for him. His feet pounding a quick rhythm on the stairs, Reno swore to himself that he would take the chance Elena had given him.

   
Adrenaline fuelled Reno as he raced upward and he ignored the flutters of fear that stirred in chest, clenching his fist around his EMR and pushing his legs even faster. Arriving at the top of the stairs Reno skidded to a halt in response to a small alarm that was ringing in the back of his mind and as he cautiously approached the door to the roof he saw the tell-tale glow of destruct materia that appeared to be rigged to blow as soon as someone passed through the door. Fresh out of any materia he could have used to negate the trap Reno glared at the door and tried to think of a way past.

   
Time seemed to draw out and to Reno it felt like at least an hour, but actually only two minutes had passed when he finally swore under his breath and went with the plan he felt least likely to kill him. Making sure his EMR was fully charged Reno took a few steps back for a run up and then without hesitation he dashed forward, diving headlong through the door and rolling swiftly out of range of the blast that brought the wall down behind him. Reno knelt on the concrete roof and choked on the dust cloud that rose around him, but he shot to his feet when a guttural laugh echoed out of the mako-tinged fog that billowed over the rooftops.  
 

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In the chaos of the battle being waged at President Shinra’s residence Rude found himself in the middle of a lull in the fighting and even though he was sweating in the Junon heat he shivered as a freezing cold chill shot down his spine. Though Rude wasn’t generally a believer in psychic phenomena he couldn’t shake the sudden and iron-clad certainty that he was in the wrong place and that if he didn’t get to Reno as quickly as possible his partner wouldn’t see another sunrise. Moving almost before his brain had come to a conscious decision Rude hurled himself across the space between the cover points and ended up face to face with the startled Kioko.

   
Firing off a couple of shots at President Shinra’s beleaguered mercenaries Rude hesitated for a second and then blurted breathlessly to Kioko, ‘Our team can keep Shinra’s forces occupied until Rufus calls the retreat, but I need to get to Midgar now. I can’t explain it but I need to be there or I’m going to let Reno down again and I can’t fucking let that happen! Kioko… Will you help me?’

   
Rude stared into Kioko’s thoughtful amethyst gaze, willing her to understand his urgency despite his incoherent babbling. Ducking briefly as an explosion sounded nearby Kioko didn’t waste any time with stupid questions and as she straightened up she put her hand on Rude’s shoulder and said, ‘I’ll help you Rude. I can see in your eyes you’ll go even if you have to do it alone and I wouldn’t want to miss any of the fun. So what’s your plan Turk? How do we get back to Midgar when our team needs the helicopter?’

   
The look of abjectly pathetic relief that crossed Rude’s face quickly morphed into a crafty smirk and he put his arm around Kioko’s shoulders and grinned, ‘Our pokey little shitcopter isn’t the only ride going around here. I figure that we haven’t pissed off ol’ Shinra enough, so on top of kicking the shit out of his idiots for hire I reckon we might as well steal his fancy ‘copter too.’

   
When Kioko looked back into his eyes with a grin wicked enough to befit a particularly beautiful Cheshire cat Rude knew that if it took him his last breath he would stand by this woman’s side. In a tone of pure evil Kioko purred, ‘Get us to that helicopter Rude and I’ll get you to your friend. From what I’ve heard about Mr ‘I’m so important Shinra’, everyone against him needs a standing ovation and a stiff drink.’

   
Rude simply couldn’t help himself and before his brain knew what he was doing he had planted a kiss right on Kioko’s lips. Eyes wide and his mind in turmoil Rude stared at the speechless Kioko for a moment before clearing his throat roughly, grabbing her hand and dragging her in a wild zig-zag path towards President Shinra’s landing spot on the other side of the apartment complex. Bullets whined past and explosions sent shrapnel whistling through the air, but Rude and Kioko moved through the battle like single-minded ghosts, intent on their goal.  
 

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Already utterly on edge Reno felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise at the sound of Veld’s rasping, deranged laugh ringing out in the chill air. Reno whipped his head from right to left in an attempt to see where his enemy was, but all he could see was the swirling fog and the erratic phantoms created by the mako flickers. Keeping his gaze steadily roving over his treacherous surroundings Reno stretched his senses to the limit and stepped out into the murky night, fear and determination setting his blood on fire.

   
Reno was only five steps away from the roof door when the uncanny slum-trained senses that had saved his life so many times sent a tingle down his spine and he threw himself to the left just in time to hear a bullet whine past just inches from his head. Rolling smoothly when he hit the ground Reno kept low and darted behind an air conditioning unit, injecting a note of his old cheekiness into his voice and yelling mockingly, ‘You’re losing your touch old man, seems like you’re too slow to kill a lowly slumrat yo! I bet without that gun of yours and in a fight where I can see you coming I could put you down like the sick fuck you are yo… How about it? Or are you too fucking scared to face me fair?’

   
It could have been the calculated insolence in Reno’s voice or else the audacious challenge to Veld’s authority and dominance was just too much to take, but whatever it was the next sound that echoed across the dark rooftop was the clatter of Veld’s gun being hurled to the ground. From his spot behind the air conditioner Reno watched intently as Veld strolled out of the murky fog and he tensed as the man sneered and barked out, ‘Well well, looks like the slumrat still thinks he’s a Turk. Come on you worthless waste of life, it’s time to do what I should’ve done the first time I realized you weren’t going to learn your place.’

   
If he had been thinking clearly and hadn’t been driven near out of his mind by worry about Tseng, Reno probably would have come up with a better second part to his plan. As it was, the horribly familiar tone of derisive malevolence sparked an explosion of rage and recklessness that burned away most the fear that held Reno immobile and he abruptly shoved himself to his feet and stepped out of his cover. Absentmindedly shaking out the tension in his neck and shoulders Reno flicked his EMR into life and walked towards Veld with fury burning in his eyes.

   
Time seemed to slow for Reno and even though he pushed himself into a run it seemed to take forever to cross the distance between himself and the man who had almost destroyed him. Veld sank into a crouch as Reno swung his nightstick in a vicious overhand blow and then time caught up with them both, Veld parrying the strike and countering with a thunderous backhand to Reno’s ribs that the redhead barely felt. Baring his teeth in an animalistic snarl Reno danced out of range and began to slowly circle around Veld, searching for an opening he could exploit.

   
For a moment there was only the sound of boots crunching on the hard concrete roof, but then Veld’s growl broke the silence and he said almost conversationally, ‘I knew you would come to me eventually Reno, although I find it amusing that you seem to think this will end well for you. Maybe it’s because you know you deserve this, just like you deserved all your punishments…’

   
Veld’s cruel words hit Reno like bullets but he seized the moment when the other man stumbled slightly, darting forward and recapturing a shadow of his former grace and agility. Swinging his EMR overhand again Reno timed it perfectly and as Veld moved to block he smoothly changed the direction of his strike, sending two punishing blows onto Veld’s shoulder and collarbone before the Director recovered enough to stagger back and raise his guard. Not wasting even a second on celebration Reno moved forward again, focused, grim and deadly.

   
Despite the fact that Veld was bigger and stronger and Reno was definitely not at full strength, the redhead still held his own in the fierce fight. Only a few minutes after the fight was joined Veld’s face sported two livid red marks where Reno had gotten through with the rod of his EMR and Reno was heavily favouring his right arm thanks to a brutal punch that had cannoned into the web of still healing scar tissue from his last encounter with Veld. Reno was just bracing himself for another assault when his own brain betrayed him and changed the game.

   
Reno was staring into Veld’s cold, mocking gaze and trying to divine the man’s next move when without warning Evil Reno burst into his mind and cut through all his defenses with a deafening shriek of, ‘You can’t win you fuckwit, just give up now! Fighting’s just going to make it worse Ren-Ren, you know this, wouldn’t it be easier to just fucking die?’

   
Shaking his head violently and barely dodging Veld’s attempt to demolish his knee with a steel-toed boot, Reno managed to punch Veld square in the throat and buy himself a second as the man choked and fell back. Any advantage Reno had won himself was erased however when Evil Reno piped up a second time and hissed cruelly, ‘Just let him kill you and it will solve everyone’s problems. If Tseng survives he’ll be grateful you’re gone. And if he’s dead then you will be too.’

   
Evil Reno’s merciless assault inside his head made Reno’s defenses falter for just a split-second, but the instant was enough for Veld to gain the upper hand. In the blink of an eye Reno found himself disarmed and thrown back against the rubble of the outer wall of the stairwell, his head whip-lashing back from the savage punch that connected squarely with his cheekbone. As Reno watched, too far away to do anything, Veld yanked a second gun from a hidden holster under his arm and took a moment to grin sadistically before taking aim.

   
Reno’s mind was fogged and slow but his reflexes were as razor sharp as ever and seemed to operate on a whole other level. Veld’s finger tightened on the trigger in the blink of an eye, but that fraction of a second was enough for Reno to dive to the side and avoid the bullet to the center of his chest that Veld had intended. The searing pain of the impact further heightened Reno’s senses as he fell and without looking he knew that the bullet had scored a ragged hole just above his hip, but as he landed on his hands and knees panting with pain Reno could tell that nothing vital had been hit.

   
Veld obviously thought that his shot had done a lot more damage to his opponent than it actually had because he let out a grating laugh and lowered his gun to his side. Out of the corner of his eye Reno saw Veld start to stroll toward him and he knew that he was watching his own death approaching. Shielding his actions with the shadow of his own body and exaggerating his breathing so that it appeared more labored and painful Reno reached down to the top of his boot and palmed the weapon of last resort he had carried since he first left his home in the slums.

   
Coming to a halt by Reno’s shivering form Veld looked down at the redhead with an expression of triumph and contempt in his glittering dark eyes and almost casually he lifted his gun to rest the muzzle against Reno’s temple. Relishing the despair that surrounded Reno, Veld smirked and said maliciously, ‘You should thank Gaia that I’m granting you the mercy of a quick death slumrat. I know that the men I sent to take down Tseng will have made him scream before cutting his throat.’

   
Although Reno’s head was lowered and his back appeared bowed in defeat, his every muscle was tensed in preparation for his last chance gambit. The touch of the gunmetal on Reno’s skin acted like the flip of a switch and in a single explosive motion he surged upwards and buried his gleaming switchblade in Veld’s throat as the man's last poisonous word fell from his mouth. Veld dropped his gun from nerveless fingers and let out a choking gurgle and then Reno crashed into him with the full force of the fury and grief that flooded through his whole body.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Thank you for being patient with me and my long quiet times between chapters. And thank you for reading thus far. We're nearly there :)**

Even pushing President Shinra’s helicopter to its limit it still took Rude and Kioko almost forty-five minutes before they shot over the outer fringes of Midgar. Kioko was apparently sensitive to Rude’s fear and anxiety, as she made no effort to engage him in conversation and simply slipped into the role of copilot to help him wring every last drop of speed out of the expensive machine. As they flew above the brightly lit buildings of the upper plates Rude began to worry about the logistics of what would happen next and his chaotic thoughts were swept away to be replaced by grim calculation.

   
As the distinctive tower of lights making up the ShinRa buildings came into view in the distance Rude seemed to come back to himself and he glanced over at Kioko and said hoarsely, ‘The only place we can land is right on top of ShinRa. I… Can you land us? I need to get in there as soon as we land…’

   
Interrupting impatiently as had already become the norm Kioko said briskly, ‘You don’t even have to ask Rude, point out the spot and I’ll set us down on it. Do what you need to do and don’t worry about me. I’ll get you where you need to be and then I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.’

   
A look of gratitude mixed with abject relief crossed Rude’s face for a fleeting instant but then the details of what was happening on the roof of the ShinRa building came into focus and drove everything out of his mind except panic. On the roof, fading in and out of view in the billowing fog, Rude could see Reno’s bright red hair like a flame in the dark, but he could also see a dark figure slowly approaching his partner. Even as Rude whipped his head around to snap instructions at Kioko he realized his words were unneeded as the sharp-eyed woman had seen the drama unfolding and she abruptly threw the helicopter into a sharp descent.

   
Kioko landed the helicopter so roughly that the left skid crumpled on impact, folding under the aircraft as it skidded to a stop on a drunken angle. Rude didn’t even notice the violence of the crash however and before the chopper had even finished its skid he was out of the door and racing towards the two figures on the other side of the roof. Rude couldn’t see exactly what Reno was doing, but he could just make out that his partner was crouching over something that was lying on the concrete and he seemed to be utterly unaware that another figure was approaching behind him.

   
The next few seconds became seared into Rude’s brain due their macabre horror and for a long time afterward he found himself waking in the dead of night in a cold sweat, the scene replaying itself behind his eyes. As Rude sprinted across the rooftop he dimly registered that the second figure was a female Turk and he saw the woman reach Reno and grab his shoulder in an attempt to pull him away from whatever he was hunched over, then Rude pulled up short in shock as Reno exploded into action. Moving almost faster than the eye could track Reno shot to his feet and whipped around, smashing the woman to the ground with a single wild punch.

   
Rude caught a brief, awful glimpse of Reno’s pale, blood-splattered face before the redhead spun around again, falling to his knees to continue frenziedly stabbing at the thing on the ground. Suddenly uncertain and with his heart racing in his chest Rude stepped forward cautiously, taking a second to check the unconscious women’s pulse before warily approaching Reno. For the space of a few painful heartbeats Rude thought that Reno was stabbing and slashing a heap of bloody rags, but then the world caught up with him and he had to swallow the urge to throw up.

   
Reno was kneeling next to what remained of Veld’s corpse and he continued to slash wildly at the man’s mutilated remains even though it was beyond obvious that the Director of the Turks was very dead. Rude moved forward guardedly, gagging as Reno’s knife skittered off Veld’s exposed skull with a jagged scraping noise and as he got closer his heart lurched as he saw that Reno’s shoulders were shaking with heaving sobs. Wanting nothing more than to stop Reno’s frantic, jerky motions Rude staggered to his friend’s side and put his hand on his shoulder.

   
If he had been thinking rationally Rude would have been much more circumspect in his approach, especially in light of what had happened to the Turk woman, but he was as far from thinking straight as it was possible to get. An instant after his hand made contact with Reno’s shoulder Rude found himself face to face with the redhead, barely able to defend himself against Reno’s barrage of vicious, lightning quick punches. Backing away and unwilling to fight back Rude desperately called Reno’s name, but to his dismay the man he had fought beside for so long showed no signs of recognition.

   
Although Rude was reeling from the horror of the situation, a functioning part of his mind was yelling at him that Reno was wounded and cataclysmically fucked up so he better damn well do something. Blocking and dodging and keeping Reno distracted from Veld’s corpse Rude spotted an opening and with a silent plea of forgiveness to his best friend Rude used brute strength to knock aside Reno’s guard and laid him out cold with a desperate punch. Reno had barely even hit the ground before Rude was by his side, his eyes wide and horrified as he was finally able to see the punishment his friend had taken.

   
Rude’s usually calm brown eyes filled with rage as he first took in the gaunt lines of Reno’s face and the blossoming bruise that covered his eye and most of his cheek. Then Rude’s gaze traveled further down to the ragged and bloody bullet wound in Reno’s side and the breath left his lungs in an audible whoosh. Oblivious to the fact that Kioko had jumped out of the helicopter and was already helping the other groggy Turk to her feet Rude picked up Reno’s limp body as carefully as possible and headed for the ragged hole where the rooftop door used to be.  
 

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It was only a pure fluke that set into action the chain of events that saved Tseng’s life, the shock wave from a nearby car bomb shaking the building he was in just enough to knock the emergency beacon from its precarious perch and jolt it into transmitting as it hit the floor. The blast also had the effect of bringing Tseng briefly back to the world and the first semi-lucid thought that floated through his mind was, ‘Yúbèn de… If I don’t find a Cure soon… Tā mā de, no, I’m not going to die here!’

   
Moving dreamily in his barely conscious state Tseng managed to roll onto his side slightly and he inched his hand along the floor towards his pocket. Even the mild bumpiness of the dirt floor of the safehouse taxed Tseng’s nearly depleted strength and the effort it took to move his hand from next to his head down to his pocket left him teetering again at the edge of consciousness. Awareness slipping out of his grasp despite his attempts to push the blackness away, Tseng was too far gone to feel it when his fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the materia in his pocket or to register the warmth of the magic sparking into life.  
 

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The world came back to Reno slowly, the wounded and exhausted redhead swimming through the layers of grogginess and pain to the accompaniment of a vaguely familiar noise. Reno’s eyes drifted open like he had lead weights attached to his eyelids and the first thing his blurry gaze landed on was Rude who was fast asleep, sprawled awkwardly in a small chair next to the bed. In his dazed state Reno registered the clock that told him he had either been unconscious for a whole day or for a little less than an hour and then his heart stuttered in his chest as he realized he was somehow in a bed in the ShinRa hospital wing.

   
Reno’s first reaction was to bolt to his feet and get the fuck out as fast as he could, but he only managed to twitch his head an inch to the left before his whole body exploded in pain. Biting his tongue until he tasted to blood to avoid crying out, Reno desperately tried to find something to distract himself from the agony he was in. Gradually it dawned on Reno as he struggled to control his breathing that the noise that first awoke him was still sounding and the tiny part of him able to think recognized it as the sound of the Turk emergency beacon alert.

   
The knowledge that Rude’s radio was receiving an emergency alert cut through Reno’s discomfort enough to pique his curiosity and to his great relief the pain actually faded a little bit in the face of the small puzzle. It took less than ten seconds however for Reno to make a connection that had been niggling in the back of his mind, his turquoise eyes flying wide open as a single word burst into his mind, ‘Tseng!’

   
Adrenaline flooded Reno’s body at the slightest hope that Tseng might still be alive and with a superhuman effort he rolled himself upright so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Pushing aside weakness and nausea, ignoring the tiredness and pain that clawed at him, Reno carefully and silently slid to his feet, all the while watching Rude intently for any signs that he was about to awaken. When he was sure that Rude was absolutely out to it Reno gritted his teeth and forced his hands to be steady as he carefully eased Rude’s phone out of his jacket pocket.

   
To Reno’s intense relief Rude was so sound asleep that he wouldn’t have noticed a full marching band invading the small hospital room and he was able to appropriate his friend’s phone relatively easily. Running mainly on fear mixed with adrenaline Reno crept to the door and peered out into the brightly lit hospital hallway, sending a brief prayer of thanks to Gaia that there was no one out in the deserted passageway. As he slunk out of the room and silently pulled the door shut behind himself Reno flipped open Rude’s phone and with another quick glance around he pulled up the emergency alert information.

   
Even though he had been desperately hoping for it Reno’s breath left him like he had been punched in the chest when he saw that the alert was indeed from the Condor beacon. In the blink of an eye Reno snapped the phone shut and shoved it in his pocket, darting off down the hallway as fast as his shaky legs could carry him. Luck happened to be with Reno and he saw no one as he dashed into the stairwell and headed for the roof, and as if in response to his fervent prayers he found the helicopter exactly where Rude and Kioko had left it when he emerged panting heavily on the rooftop.

   
Reno’s chest was heaving with the effort of sucking in air and the half healed wound in his side burned like someone had just poured acid over it, but without pause he launched himself toward the helicopter and swung himself inside. Knowing that it would not be long before someone noticed that he was not where he was meant to be, Reno let muscle memory take over and began the takeoff procedure, hoping against hope that Rude hadn’t broken the machine in his hurried landing. Gaia was apparently smiling on Reno for once in his life, the expensive aircraft starting without a problem and as he lifted off he had just one thought burning in his mind, get to Tseng.  
 

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Reno was right in his intuition that pursuit would not be far behind, for even as the redhead burst out onto the rooftop Rude’s hand slipped off the arm of his chair and the gentle jolt pulled him from his exhausted sleep. Groaning at the unwelcome sensation of wakefulness Rude glanced over at the bed expecting to see Reno still unconscious, but he almost fell out of the chair when he saw that the bed was empty. Shooting to his feet with his eyes wide with panic Rude grabbed for his phone to call Rufus and then exploded in obscenities when he realized that Reno had stolen his cell when he had vanished from the room.

   
The people he swept past in the halls jumped in surprise at the speed with which Rude barreled through the corridors of the ShinRa hospital wing, but as fast as he was moving he still felt as though he wasn’t going fast enough. Dodging through the throngs of busy nurses, doctors and orderlies Rude made a beeline for the nearest service desk and ignoring the startled receptionist he snatched up the phone and punched in Rufus’ number. Panic rising in his throat Rude tried to compose himself enough to tell Rufus that Reno had gone missing on his watch.

   
At the click of Rufus picking up his phone Rude didn’t give his boss the chance to speak and blurted frantically, ‘Reno has gone AWOL Rufus, you can eviscerate me later but I need you to get someone after him. I know him, he’s gone after Tseng… Fucking idiot… He took my damn phone. Shit, Rufus, send someone to catch him, I’ll call him and see if I can talk some sense into the redheaded moron!’

   
Shoving aside the pants-wetting terror at how he had just spoken to Rufus ‘Fucking Scary’ Shinra, Rude slammed the phone back into its cradle and then picked it up again to dial his own cell. As the sound of the phone ringing blared in his ear Rude clung to the faint hope that Reno was himself enough to be feeling guilt at ditching his partner and running off on his own. Then the ringing cut off and Rude found he couldn’t speak around the lump lodged in his throat as Reno answered and immediately whispered, ‘Rude, I’m sorry yo.’

   
Swallowing hard Rude forced himself to speak harshly and in a remarkably level voice he said, ‘Fuck that Reno, if you were sorry for this you would’ve woken me in the first place and I’d be with you in that fucking helicopter I can hear in the background. Tell me where the fuck you’re going and maybe I’ll call Rufus back and tell him not to lock you in the damn safehouse for the rest of the year.’

   
Rude bit his lip as he fell silent, already regretting his grim words. There was a moment of silence during which only the rhythmic thump of the helicopter’s rotor could be heard and then Reno said in a tone of miserable defiance, ‘I really am sorry Rude, I am yo, but I don’t give a shit about Rufus right now. I’m going to find Tseng and I’m going to save him yo. That’s why I took your phone Rude, the fucking Condor beacon went off yo… Tseng’s there and I won’t just fucking leave him. Gaia’s love Rude… I can’t let Veld take Tseng from beyond the fucking grave!’

   
The extreme anxiety and borderline hysteria in Reno’s voice stopped the angry words that wanted to spew from Rude’s mouth and he snapped his mouth shut, taking a deep steadying breath in through his nose. Despite the roiling anger and worry that bubbled away below Rude’s blank demeanor he could still conceptualize exactly where Reno was coming from and he made a snap decision and said brusquely, ‘Fuck you and the horse you rode in on Reno, you know I’d never ask you to leave anyone behind… Let alone Tseng. Get your skinny ass to Condor and I’ll see what I can do about mitigating things this end. Gaia help me Ren, we’ll both probably be kicked out of ShinRa, so you better get your bossman back safe yeah?’  
 

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The second his stolen phone had gone off Reno knew that it would be Rude on the other end and the only reason he let the phone ring for so long was that the lump in his throat made it physically impossible to talk. Picking up was harder than he thought it would be and then when his strangled apology was met with angrier words than he had ever heard from Rude, Reno couldn’t stop himself blurting out the plan that was nailed to the forefront of his mind. As his mouth ran on without intervention from his brain Reno choked on the thought that Tseng might be lying dead thanks to Veld and he went silent, hopelessly waiting for Rude to tell him that their friendship was done.

   
Rude’s response and the undertone of understanding in his voice had Reno vowing fervently to never underestimate his partner for as long as he lived, however long that happened to be. Incoherently voicing his agreement to whatever Rude wanted Reno tossed the phone into the empty copilot’s seat as the other man rang off and then a change came over his face that had before been clouded with uncertainty and desolation. A deadly light sparked in Reno’s eyes and he fixed his gaze on the horizon, his experienced hands coaxing the helicopter to the limits of its performance.

   
It took Reno a little under two hours of break-neck flying before he was passing over the outskirts of Condor and even in his highly focused state he still couldn’t help but notice the scorched and devastated condition of the streets and houses. Knowing that he was essentially flying into a war zone did nothing to help Reno’s frame of mind, but even with the evidence of the danger he was headed towards right in front of him, all Reno could think about was finding Tseng. The steady beep of the homing signal felt to Reno like a heartbeat and then his own heart leaped into his throat as the beep grew frantically fast, indicating that the emergency beacon was somewhere very close below.

   
A small part of Reno that still gave a flying fuck about his own survival made him circle the four way intersection twice before touching down, an attempt to make sure that there were no gang forces in the immediate area. In all honesty there could have been hordes of blood-crazed gang brawlers on his landing site for all Reno cared, but the tiny survival based part of his brain whispered that at least he’d know if he was about to be jumped. The second that he had the helicopter on the ground and powered down Reno launched himself out of the door, using the wildly beeping phone as a crude sort of guide to get him to Tseng.

   
In response to a vague memory of being shown the locations of the boltholes in each city during his training Reno raced towards a seemingly random building that was blackened by nearby explosions but still standing firm. Dodging around the craters and scattered debris that littered the street Reno barely even slowed down when he got to the door around the back of the building, hitting it with his shoulder so hard that it burst open and hung drunkenly on its hinges. The redheaded Turk was moving so fast that he couldn’t stop himself and before he realized what was happening Reno tripped over something on the floor and went flying.

   
Even as he fell Reno was twisting like a cat to both see what he had fallen over and to land in a position he could fight from if necessary, but the sight that met his eyes robbed him of his grace and agility and saw him land heavily on his hands and knees. Reno wanted to get up, wanted to rush forward, but all he could do was stare in horrified silence at Tseng’s bloodstained and battered body lying limp on the floor. Time seemed to stretch interminably before Reno was able to inhale in a painful gasp of air and then his paralysis broke and he scrambled gracelessly forward to kneel by Tseng’s side.

  
In his short but trauma filled life Reno had lived through some horrific things while still managing to hold onto the core of who he was, but seeing Tseng sprawled on the floor apparently lifeless came within a hair of breaking him utterly. The only thing that prevented Reno’s psyche from shattering into irreparable pieces was that when he got closer his blurry gaze caught the slight rise and fall of Tseng’s chest. Reno’s heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest but somehow his first aid training bypassed his stuttering brain and he watched his own shaking hands reach out to assess Tseng’s condition.

   
The second that Reno’s delicate investigation revealed that Tseng had no broken bones or neck trauma Reno forced himself to gently roll the other man into a more comfortable position. As Reno gingerly heaved Tseng’s limp body over so the man was lying on his side however, Tseng’s hand slipped out of his pocket and a dimly glowing green cure fell to the floor with a bell-like chime. For a moment Reno just stared at the partially depleted materia, battling against the exhaustion that fogged his mind, but then a spike of clarity pierced his stupor and he snatched up the small green ball of hope.

   
All around Reno the world blurred into irrelevance and somehow he managed to drag himself back from the edge of hysteria. Whispering a hoarse apology for what he about to do Reno took a deep breath and as swiftly and smoothly as he could he rolled Tseng over and maneuvered him so that the other man’s head was resting in his lap. Unashamedly praying to Gaia that there was enough magic left in the materia he held, Reno placed the orb on Tseng’s chest and watched it sink into his partner’s body while emitting a bright shimmer of green.

   
For ten long, thudding heartbeats Reno saw no change in Tseng’s condition and as time seemed to slow to a stop Evil Reno whispered triumphantly in his head, ‘You did it Ren-Ren, I didn’t think you had it in you yo but you managed it. You killed Tseng. Maybe it wasn’t your knife or gun or whatever, but Gaia knows all that blood is on your hands…’

   
The agony that followed in the wake of Evil’s Reno’s devastating words ripped through the last of Reno’s defenses and a sound of pure pain escaped from his lips before his brain registered the signals his eyes were frantically trying to send him. In front of Reno’s bewildered and disbelieving gaze the ragged wound in Tseng’s midriff was beginning to knit back together and as Reno stared at Tseng’s face he could see a faint hint of color seeping back. Then, just as a thin ray of hope seemed about to cut through Reno’s despair, the glow of the materia dissipated and the slow healing of Tseng’s wounds stopped completely.

   
As the color drained away from Tseng’s cheeks again something went click in Reno’s head. Ignoring his own injuries, his wrecked emotions and most of all ignoring the shrieking of Evil Reno in his mind, Reno gritted his teeth and with a burst of adrenaline-fueled strength he stood up and heaved Tseng into his arms in one smooth motion. Forcing himself to move both swiftly and smoothly despite the toll it took on his injured body Reno burst out of the safehouse and cradled Tseng close to his chest as he raced back towards his stolen helicopter.

   
Getting Tseng into the helicopter ripped open the half healed bullet wound in Reno’s side but he ignored the stab of pain and instead winced at the incoherent groan Tseng let out as his back hit the floor of the helicopter cabin. Some of the icy calm that had been sustaining Reno drained away at the sound of Tseng’s pain and he slammed the door before scrambling into the cockpit and scrabbling for the switch to turn on the battery. It was at that moment that Reno’s world froze and his wide aquamarine eyes locked onto a crucial gauge in front of him, the red light that indicated an empty fuel tank that was glowing like a malevolent ember on the dashboard.

   
 For a moment Reno couldn’t move or think or breathe and he was submerged in despair so complete that his limbs went limp and he slumped in the seat, right at the point of giving up totally. It took the chatter of approaching gunfire that sounded like it was no more than a couple of streets away to break through Reno’s stupor and for a few heartbeats he simply stared in the direction of the barrage, almost far gone enough to just sit and wait for death. Reno might have sat where he was until the battling gangs stumbled upon the helicopter and blew his brains out but then the still unconscious Tseng let out a faint groan and Reno’s world came back into sharp and painful focus.

   
Panic seeped into Reno’s blank gaze and adrenaline flooded his body as he stared around wildly, fear not for himself but for Tseng ripping through the apathy that had almost stolen his fighting spirit. A violent explosion just out of sight made Reno flinch and then in that moment a memory lit up his mind and a tiny flower of hope unfurled beautiful petals in his chest. In front of Reno’s wide eyes the memory played out and despite the fact that imminent death was bearing down on him Reno’s mouth curled in a slow grin.

   
 _Veld had set up a training mission for his Turks almost a year before the night that he came very close to killing Reno, a mission designed to hone the skills of his agents in the event that one of their own was captured and unable to escape danger. Knowing his men as he did Veld had chosen Reno to play the part of the hapless Turk in distress, mainly because he was fully aware how much it would irritate the energetic Turk to just sit back and do nothing while his friends did all the work. Veld had ordered Reno to take his place in a ‘downed’ helicopter in the middle of a crumbling and ruined village and then he had waited for the rest of the Turks to set off before sending in an ‘enemy force’._

_  
_ _Reno had sat docilely in the helicopter for all of ten seconds after Veld left before blowing a loud and undignified raspberry after his Director. With a grin on his face Reno went about inspecting his comfortable prison hoping to find some way to keep himself entertained, but his hopes were dashed when he saw that Veld had taken the liberty of providing him with a helicopter with an empty fuel tank. In the mood for taking the piss out of his superior if he could and damn the consequences Reno began the start-up sequence for the chopper despite the lack of gas and he let out a delighted whoop when the engine started up and the rotors began to turn._

_  
_ _Abandoning his role in the training exercise with a certain amount of contrary glee Reno threw himself into his self-imposed mission and by happy chance it was just as the rest of the Turks came racing into view that the helicopter shot skyward. In the control building Reno imagined that he could see Veld’s furious face and he laughed as he piloted the helicopter upwards, ignoring the very real danger of running out of gas and plummeting to his death. In a matter of moments Reno was almost at the height of the tallest building and with a smug grin he landed the chopper just as the engine began to splutter, getting comfortable and waiting serenely for the consequences to catch up with him._

   
Reno was so lost in thought that it took the roar of bullets smashing into a building at the corner of the square to bring him crashing back to reality. Gritting his teeth and clinging to the resolve that battled with the fear clutching at his heart Reno exploded into action and bypassed most of the pre-flight checklist completely, completing an emergency takeoff just as the violent battle between two of the Condor gangs spilled over into the square. Sending the helicopter upwards on not much more than fumes and sheer force of will Reno barely skipped the vehicle over the edge of the highest rooftop, coming down in a blessing of a landing that hardly jolted him or his wounded passenger.

   
Letting out a shuddering breath and shaking his hands hard to get rid of the minor tremors that shook his fingers Reno sent a faint thank you to Gaia for his stay of execution and then he scrambled over into the cabin to make sure that Tseng was still breathing. Although Tseng was still unconscious Reno took momentary heart at his steady breathing and slightly less pale cheeks, but the smile was quickly stolen from him face as he came to the realization that there was truly now no way out. Checking once more to make sure Tseng was stable Reno slid out of the chopper and wandered over to the edge of the roof, one glance down at the square enough to tell him that he and Tseng had maybe fifteen minutes before the winning side came for them.

   
Slowly, as if he was carrying a heavy weight, Reno turned away from the battle below and walked back to the helicopter. All that was going through Reno’s head as the gunfire echoed in the air was that he was going to watch Tseng die and there was nothing he could do to stop it. With not a single thought in his head for his own safety Reno pulled himself back up and into the cabin of the helicopter and gazed at Tseng in sorrow, unable to believe that they would both soon be returning to the Lifestream.

   
With what remained of his once customary grace Reno sank to his knees beside Tseng and gently pulled the unconscious man into his arms. Finally giving in to the tears that had been burning behind his eyes Reno bowed his head and lightly kissed Tseng’s hair, his tears falling onto his partner’s face and mixing with the smears of blood and dirt that marred Tseng’s normally smooth tanned skin. Closing his eyes Reno tried to find some sort of acceptance or peacefulness around his inescapable situation but all he could feel was guilt and regret at the fact that he had no way of somehow spiriting Tseng to safety and dying alone.

   
To the man he loved, in a broken voice that no one who knew him would have recognized Reno whispered, ‘I’m sorry Tseng… I’m so sorry yo. I should be the only one paying for my almighty fuck ups yo… Dammit Tseng, it wasn’t meant to be like this. If I’d just died in the fucking basement like I was meant to you’d have never been his target… I’d never have thought that I was good enough to love you yo and you wouldn’t be about to die because of me. I do love you though Tseng, so fucking much yo and I’m sorry.’


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: You'll be sick of me apologizing, but I am sorry for the wait. We're getting there... Hang in here with me, I promise I'll take this one right to the finish however long it takes. Thanks for keeping on reading :)**

Chapter Nineteen.

  
Speaking to Reno on the phone had the dual effect of dispelling Rude’s uncertainty over his partner’s location and ramping his anxiety up to almost painful levels. The phone in his hand went dead but for a second Rude just stood and stared into space, on the edge of being overwhelmed by the enormity of the clusterfuck that he was trying to deal with. A sudden alarm in a close-by hospital room served to snap Rude out of his trance and almost without intervention from his brain he reached once more for the phone.

   
Rufus answered his phone before the first ring had finished but Rude was so on edge that he completely ignored the impatience in the men’s brusque order for information. An idea suddenly burst fully formed into Rude’s mind and he blurted out before he could think it through, ‘He’s gone to Condor to find Tseng Rufus, I need to go after him! He’s still fucked from fighting Veld and, and… I can’t let him die out there just because he doesn’t have his partner at his back!’

   
Trailing off into silence Rude shut his eyes in horrified realization at how he had just addressed Rufus Shinra _again_ and he waited for the inevitable explosion of wrath that would spell his doom. Rufus however went silent for a charged second and then he surprised Rude beyond all rational thought by snapping out, ‘I was just about to send your friend Kioko up to prep a helicopter to follow that blasted Reno but you’re right, having you there might swing this enough for me to get all my Turks back alive. Don’t worry about punishment Rude, there’ll be none, just get yourself to Condor and make sure you bring back the rest of my Turks as undamaged as possible. Kioko will be on her way to the roof of the hospital very shortly, call me when you are on the way back with my Turks.’

   
With that unbelievable command Rufus hung up and the sound of the dial tone in Rude’s ear seemed to flip a switch in the usually controlled man. The phone dropped forgotten from Rude’s fingers and he took off like a bullet from a gun, yanking open the side door and barreling into the stairwell before the desk phone even hit the floor. It took Rude all of two minutes to crash up the stairs and out onto the heli-pad on top of the hospital, the large man finding in himself a turn of speed he had never suspected he had, and though he was bent double and panting he was still able to growl out a curse at the fact that Kioko hadn’t managed to teleport herself to his position.

   
In the tense few minutes before Kioko’s helicopter came into view Rude’s training kicked in and he took the opportunity to inspect the limited stock of weapons he had available. As a fully trained Turk with years of experience Rude never went anywhere without a fully loaded sidearm and at least two extra magazines, but as he checked his weaponry he found that in this instance he only had two rounds left in his gun and a single spare magazine. Rude let out a disgusting curse that would have made Reno stare at him in awe, but he didn’t have time to brood as the sound of a chopper cut through the echoes of his voice and he looked up to see Rufus Shinra’s private helicopter heading for the hospital.

   
Despite his worry for Reno and the creeping fear that he was going to be too late to save either his friend or his leader Rude couldn’t help but privately admire the skill with which Kioko negotiated the unpredictable winds and brought the helicopter safely down on the rooftop. Keeping low and judging his moment, Rude was moving a split second before the helicopter touched down and Kioko barely had time to come to rest on the roof before Rude was aboard and the chopper once again shot skyward. Buckling himself into the co-pilot’s seat and slipping on the spare headset Rude looked over at Kioko and said loudly over the roar of the rotors, ‘Well, once again you’re helping me pick up after my Gaia-damned partner… You must be getting sick of it by now huh?’

   
Kioko held the control stick steady but turned her gaze fully over to Rude, a partly exasperated, partly amused look in her purple eyes as she replied candidly, ‘Really Rude? Rufus was going to send one of his grunts to get you to Condor before I volunteered. Face it Turk, you’re not the only one who felt something in Glasswood… And while I’m being perfectly frank, I don’t like leaving a job undone. In this case I won’t feel like the job is done until we’re back in Midgar and that partner of yours is done running off like a mental case.’

   
Although he should at least have started getting used to the Wutaiin woman’s way of taking him completely by surprise, Rude could only stare at Kioko with his mouth gaping open. Disarmed and more than a little touched by his new friend’s forthright words Rude floundered for something to say and eventually said slowly, ‘Alright, point taken, serves me right for assuming. I’m no good at any of this shit, but I think when this is over we might need to find a moment to have a drink and a talk somewhere that isn’t a warzone.’

   
To Rude’s delight his tentative suggestion was greeted with a bright smile from Kioko who nodded enthusiastically and said decisively, ‘Well at least that’s settled then. Now, we’ve got a while until we sight Condor, so what’s say we try and make a plan for getting this Reno I’ve heard so much about back safe and sound along with your boss.’

   
While he and Kioko did their best to plan for the unknown situation they were flying straight into Rude sent a fervent prayer of thanks to Gaia in the privacy of his own head. Had he been left to his own devices Rude was well aware that he would have spent the entire trip to Condor in a state of rigid tension, so as he talked with Kioko he took advantage of the semi-calm the conversation provided and centered himself. The flight in the dark night seemed to take forever for Rude, but when he finally saw the lights of Condor in the distance he felt a jolt of fear course through his body at the flickering flames that lit the night.

   
Because Kioko had been provided with the exact location of the Turk safehouse she didn’t have to waste time searching was able to make a beeline straight for the building, flying high enough to avoid the danger of ground fire, but low enough to see some of the detail below. Because Rude was in the co-pilot’s seat and didn’t have to concentrate on the tricky flying conditions he was the first to spot the fierce firefight going on in the square adjacent to the safehouse and as he nudged Kioko’s shoulder to alert her to the danger he glimpsed something that set his heart pounding like a jackhammer. Out of the corner of his eye Rude caught a stray glint of firelight on metal and when he whipped his head around he could just see the rotor blade of a chopper on a nearby roof.

   
Rude’s hand that had just come to rest on Kioko’s shoulder tightened convulsively making the woman yelp and she was just opening her mouth to yell at the Turk when she saw the look on his face and turned to follow his wild-eyed gaze. Before Rude could get himself together enough to utter a word Kioko had grasped the situation and with an abrupt manoeuvre that jerked Rude sideways in his seat she changed direction and sent the helicopter racing towards the towering building. The brief glimpse he had gotten of the pitched battle below had made it clear to Rude that the fight was almost over and even as the chopper lifted above the edge of the building he willed it to go faster, knowing that whoever won down on the street would soon come up to investigate what was happening on the rooftop.

   
With precision that would have been the envy of any of the top Turk pilots Kioko whipped President Shinra’s helicopter up and over the lip of the roof, spinning so that Rude’s door was facing the other chopper and deftly holding the machine hovering in place. Staring through the glass Rude was momentarily transfixed by the tableau in front of him, his frantic gaze taking in the sight of his friend huddled in the battered helicopter and holding what appeared to be the dead body of Tseng before his paralysis broke. As if he had practiced the action fifty times before Rude had his door open the second that the helicopter came to a halt in mid-air and then he was sprinting across the rooftop toward Reno who was staring at him like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

   
88888

   
As the gang conflict at the foot of his refuge reached its peak Reno had given up on his futile apologies to Tseng and the world in general, falling silent and settling for simply hugging Tseng close and listening to his shallow breathing. Being a Turk for the majority of his life had given Reno a certain resignation about serious injury and the prospect of death, but now that he was face to face with the reaper he was struggling with accepting that he would be meeting his own end. Listening to the echo of gunfire reach a crescendo Reno wrapped himself around Tseng protectively, praying that at the very least the man he loved would feel no pain as he passed into the Lifestream.

   
Reno’s face was buried in Tseng’s loose, silky, dark hair and tears fell unchecked down his cheeks, but even through his despair and the roar of the battle below he still couldn’t miss the sound of a chopper bearing down on his position. Snapped out of his fatalistic trance Reno dragged his gaze away from the silky strands that his fingers were mindlessly combing through and swallowing the feeling of dread that lodged in his throat he resolutely looked up to meet his fate head on. Prepared as he was to face the roar and momentary pain of gunfire, Reno simply couldn’t make his world make sense as he watched Rufus Fucking Shinra’s helicopter rise into view.

   
There was lingering moment that to Reno seemed to last forever, the sight of the executive helicopter climbing above the edge of the roof like an angel of salvation burning itself into his mind. Then time seemed to speed up again and the chopper almost bounced over the lip of the building, whipping around on its axis and allowing Reno to see Rude’s grim face staring back at him from behind the glass. Only able to gape speechlessly at his oldest friend Reno blinked stupidly as Rude ignored the roughness of the landing and burst out of the door the second the skids touched the concrete.

   
Sure that he was having some weird sort of near death hallucination Reno wrapped his arms tighter around Tseng and sat up straighter, shaking his head and muttering sardonically, ‘Well, at least I can pretend I’m among friends when I die yo. Fuck’s sake, I must’ve really pissed Gaia off if she’s deciding to torment me with visions of rescue…’

   
In the time that Reno was murmuring incoherently to himself Rude crossed the space between them and before Reno could get himself together enough to even think in a straight line he found himself folded in a fierce hug. Because he was still protectively cradling Tseng’s head in his lap Reno couldn’t return the embrace, but with his senses working overtime he felt Rude’s large hands pressing against his back and the hitch in the large man’s breathing suddenly brought home to him that this was the real, Rude right here with him. Hoarsely Reno managed to whisper, ‘Rude…’

   
88888

   
The dash across the roof to reach his partner took Rude all of three seconds, but in that brief interval his Turk-trained brain still managed to grasp the full severity of the dire situation. Even as he yanked Reno into a hug made rough by fear and relief Rude was careful to not to jostle the man that Reno held in his lap, but his worries for Tseng were momentarily eclipsed when his fingers touched the blood on Reno’s side from the reopened bullet wound. The pain in Reno’s husky voice as he whispered his name jolted Rude back into action and he released Reno and sat back, a look of grim determination on his face.

   
Looking straight into Reno’s bewildered gaze Rude put his hands gently but firmly on the redhead’s shoulders and growled, ‘We need to get you both out of here Reno, Gaia knows that this place will be crawling with gang scum any minute. When you left… Fuck Reno, I’ll murder you later. You found Tseng and now we all need to get the fuck out of here.’

   
88888

   
It was the no-nonsense rumble of Rude’s voice that convinced Reno that his friend was in fact right there hugging him and the mention of Tseng jolted him back to the real world. Glancing down briefly at Tseng’s pale, still face Reno locked down every emotion that assailed his fragile control and he swallowed hard before saying quietly, ‘You’re right yo, you can kick my ass once this is over. Help me get Tseng to your chopper… He’s hurt bad yo. And Rude… I’m so fucking sorry yo, for everything.’

   
A burst of gunfire from below drowned out whatever Rude went to say in reply and Reno steeled himself for his next move, getting Tseng to the helicopter hopefully without hurting the man further in the effort. Contorting his body and moving as sinuously as he could to avoid jolting Tseng, Reno kept his hands under his partner’s shoulders to keep him steady and with Rude’s steadfast help he lifted Tseng’s prone form with a pained grunt. Ignoring the burning pain in his side as his wound tore open even further Reno nodded brusquely for Rude to start moving and together they made their way carefully towards the waiting helicopter.

   
To Reno it felt like he and Rude were moving at a snail’s crawl across the rooftop and he was so focused on not hurting Tseng that he nearly jumped out of his skin when the woman in the helicopter opened the door and agreed with his unvoiced thought by yelling urgently, ‘Move your asses you two, whoever won that fight downstairs is trying to break down the door!’

   
At the commanding shout from the unfamiliar woman Reno coughed out a curse and snapped his panicked gaze up to meet Rude’s. After working together for so long the two Turks had developed an almost telepathic connection and without wasting words they skidded to a halt and with a muttered apology Reno transferred Tseng’s entire weight to Rude’s back, making sure that the unconscious man was secure before helping Rude up and bolting for the chopper. With Rude just two steps behind him Reno scrambled into the cabin of the helicopter and then spun around to help Rude hoist Tseng inside too.

   
Reno happened to be looking back at the roof as the helicopter lifted off and even as he yanked the door closed he saw a handful of bloodstained gang members charge out on the rooftop and look around in confusion until they spotted the departing chopper. Thanking Gaia that Rufus’ eternal paranoia meant that his personal helicopter was about as bulletproof as anything could get Reno fell back against the wall as bullets ricocheted around outside and it was only then that he dared look over at Rude and Tseng. As Reno’s eyes came to rest on Tseng’s pale face a wave of dizziness made his head spin sickeningly and he shakily crawled over, desperate to confirm that his partner was alive.

   
It was only as Reno stretched out his hand to touch Tseng’s face that he became vaguely conscious of the damp patch that was soaking into his shirt over his ribs. Doggedly ignoring the blood seeping from his side and continuing to ignore the painful tugging of his gaping and neglected wound Reno also disregarded Rude’s worried question that sounded garbled and faint anyway. Kneeling next to Tseng and gently laying his fingers on his partner’s pulse Reno felt Tseng’s heart beating steadily against his fingertips and the pulse told Reno that the man was going to make back to Midgar alive. Even as a smile flitted across the redhead’s face he fell away from the world to join Tseng in darkness so deep it was akin to death.

   
88888

   
Although he was inwardly boiling over with suppressed energy Rufus Shinra appeared as cool and unperturbed as ever as he dealt with the drawn out clusterfuck that was the aftermath of the mission. In the hour that Reno was out of the equation unconscious in the hospital Rufus had taken charge of the clean-up of the rooftop and he personally supervised having Veld’s pitiful remains stored and guarded in the public morgue until other arrangements could be made. Along with the practical considerations Rufus was already starting to plan his next move in regards to filling the vacuum of power, but then he got the call from Rude and all other concerns were shoved aside to address the immediate crisis.

   
After he dispatched Rude and Kioko to Condor Rufus found himself in an unusual and unpleasant situation, for once the son of Shinra was left watching from the sidelines with no way to sway the results. Alone in his office Rufus attempted to drag his attention back to the new set of intrigues that should have been setting his mind on fire, but after only five minutes of shuffling personnel files he was blindsided by a strange mood that that made him shove his chair back from his desk and stalk out of his office. Rufus started off striding swiftly towards the hospital ward that he had cordoned off for Cissnei, Vincent and Elena, but for some reason by the time he got to the correct corridor he was going less than half his full speed.

   
Pausing at room 83 Rufus suddenly realized that he had been standing with his hand on the doorknob for over a minute and with a barely audible scoff at his own foolishness he let himself into the room. Projecting at least a veneer of his usual effortless confidence Rufus shut the door quietly and glanced around at the three Turks who were asleep on the three large hospital beds. Letting out a slow breath, secure in the knowledge no one could see him, Rufus allowed a fleeting expression of relief mixed with sadness to cross his face over the state of his Turks and how close he had let them come to death.

   
Closest to Rufus on adjacent beds were Vincent and Elena, both Turks recovering from injuries suffered in their battle with the mercenaries Lièqiāng and Katana. Rufus could see that Vincent’s wounds had almost healed in the time he had been asleep, but the son of Shinra winced when he looked over at Elena who was motionless apart from her chest moving slightly as she breathed. Before the doctors had put Vincent in an induced healing sleep Rufus had briefly spoken to the Turk and he had listened silently in admiration to the story of how Elena had drawn enemy fire to allow Reno to go after Veld and then immediately afterward saved Cissnei’s life and taken down Katana, freeing the other woman to follow Reno to the roof. Laying his hand briefly on Elena’s shoulder Rufus vowed to send her for a long vacation in Mideel as soon as she was able.

   
After taking a moment to alleviate the worry clutching at his chest, although he would never admit it, by assuring himself that Elena was being healed in the faint green glow of a Cure, Rufus moved over to the other bed. Gently Rufus smoothed Cissnei’s wild auburn hair away from her pale face and he ignored the nearly healed sword-wounds on her body that were par for the course for a Turk, grimacing instead at the damage done to the woman’s face. Since he had met Cissnei Rufus had been impressed by the woman’s integrity and dedication to the colleagues she had only worked with a short while, but he was still almost in awe of the way she had nearly given her own life to save the life of a Turk she had barely met.

   
As lightly as possible so as not to further hurt the brave young woman Rufus ran his fingers over the distorted bones of Cissnei’s jaw and he grimaced at the feeling of the bone slowly shifting under her skin and knitting back into its correct alignment. It still amazed Rufus, in the privacy of his own head of course, that the slightly built Reno had been able to punch with enough power to shatter Cissnei’s face in two places, but after thinking about it for a second he couldn’t help a small shiver at what must have been going through Reno’s head at that point. Much as he wanted to be furious with Reno for his actions and disobedience Rufus simply couldn’t bring himself to get angry with the redhead who had barely survived the past few months.

   
As he stood in the hospital room surrounded by his wounded Turks Rufus tried to keep hold of his fabled calm, but for the first time in a very long he was hit by creeping feeling of helplessness that all but overwhelmed his control. Letting out a quiet sigh that seemed loud in the silent room Rufus let his shoulders sag slightly and he wandered over to sink into the chair by the door before a soft sound yanked him back to himself. Rufus jerked his head up to see what the noise had been and he found himself staring at Vincent who had awoken and sat up to fix Rufus with his enigmatic, rust-red gaze.

   
It was Vincent who broke the silence, saying in a quiet, raspy voice, ‘Is it over Sir? I know he’s dead, but is it all over?’

   
Clawing back some of his composure Rufus offered Vincent a hint of a smile and replied, ‘I think we can dispense with the ‘Sir’ Vincent, you and the rest of our conspirators have all earned the right to call me by my name. As for your question, it is almost over, I am however just waiting on the wrapping up of a couple of loose ends. Are you feeling up to hearing the story of what’s been happening while you and these two have been healing?’

   
When Vincent leaned back on his pillows and nodded firmly Rufus stood up and moved over to sit on the edge of the other man’s bed. Lowering his voice so as not to disturb the other patients in the room Rufus said, ‘Rude arrived on the roof a few minutes before myself and the medical team I thought was necessary to bring with me. Rude organized getting you and the rest of our people to the medical ward for treatment.’

   
Rufus paused at the look on Vincent’s face as the Turk’s eyes went wide and he whipped his head around to look over the two comatose women on the other side of the room. With an agitated tone in his voice that Rufus had not heard before from him before Vincent cut in hoarsely, ‘Elena, C-Cissnei… They’re going to be okay? I was almost out of it when Elena took down Katana… And Cissnei… She went after Reno. Gaia’s love Rufus, what happened to her?’

   
Closing his eyes for a second and cursing himself for his slow wits Rufus readjusted the conversation in his head to allow for the fact that Vincent currently was unaware of what had happened on the rooftop. Reaching out to place his hand reassuringly on Vincent’s arm Rufus said, ‘She’s going to be fine Vincent, there were just some unexpected complications when she reached the roof. Before we put her under for the Cure to take effect Cissnei related to me how she found Reno on the rooftop, almost out of his mind and stabbing at Veld’s incredibly dead corpse. Unfortunately she surprised Reno from behind and he lashed out in his delusional state. The Cure is working well Vincent, the broken jaw and various lacerations she sustained will be healed in the next few hours.’

   
Rufus fell silent and watched Vincent carefully, certain that there was more going on than just the concern of one colleague for another and when Vincent finally broke the silence Rufus was quietly satisfied that he had not lost his perceptive edge. Vincent’s shoulders slumped at Rufus’ words and he had to clear his throat a couple of times before he could mutter, ‘I should’ve taken him out faster, she should’ve had back-up going up there. Dammit, we were going to go for a fucking beer… Fuck. Ok Rufus so what else? You wouldn’t be looking so exhausted if that was it.’

   
The way Vincent abruptly pulled himself out his self-recrimination and refocused on the crux of the story impressed Rufus and he briefly congratulated himself for securing a valuable addition to the Turks even in the midst of all the turmoil. Taking Vincent’s lead and speaking in a matter-of-fact tone Rufus went on, ‘With everything going on you might not have noticed that Reno was put in another room, but that is irrelevant anyway because little more than an hour after being situated in a private room my bloody Turk absconded with the helicopter that Rude crashed on the roof.’

   
Even though Vincent was staring at him in astonished disbelief and waiting for him to continue Rufus paused for a second because at that moment he had just discovered that he was not as unconcerned with Reno going rogue as he had led himself to believe. Squashing the momentary wave of anger that rippled through him Rufus narrowed his eyes and finished the story saying flatly, ‘Rude alerted me that Reno had taken it upon himself go find Tseng and rescue him from whatever fate Veld had planned for him in Condor. Currently I’m waiting for word from Rude and the Wutaiin fighter who accompanied him from Junon, as I sent them after that redheaded menace to make sure that both he and Tseng come back in one piece.’

   
Rufus watched Vincent carefully and for a second the dark haired Turk simply stared back at him, obviously trying to wrap his head around what he had just heard. In the silence that followed Rufus’ story Vincent blinked a couple of times and shook his head saying faintly, ‘So it seems that even after his death Veld is still capable of destruction. And you Sir, uh, Rufus… You’re waiting for the last of this to be over? When will you hear about the last of your Turks still under the threat of Veld’s malice?’

   
Echoing the other man’s expression for a moment Rufus blinked back at Vincent, blindsided by the tone in the Turk’s voice that said clearly he understood how much the wait was grating on his boss. Rufus let out an unexpected low laugh and allowed a wry smile to cross his face as he said, ‘It seems I have no shortage of perceptive Turks, something that may steal away some of my mystique if I become so easy to read. You’re right, I am reduced to simply waiting for Reno and Rude to finish this by bringing Tseng home. I anticipate hearing news in around two hours’ time and I thought to spend that time in the company of those who nearly gave their lives in my service.’

   
Having exposed more of his softer side than he was usually comfortable revealing Rufus coughed and went to stand up, unsure as to why he had divulged so much to the Turk he barely knew. Vincent’s quiet voice stopped Rufus before he could get his feet under himself and he listened as Vincent said hesitantly, ‘Can you stay, please? I can’t go back to sleep now and I can’t just lie here and worry about Cissnei… And, uh, Elena too.’

   
More relieved than he was prepared to admit that he wouldn’t have to pace the hallways until Rude checked in Rufus kept his face neutral but sank back onto the bed and got comfortable. Looking over at Vincent Rufus saw the other man’s brow furrow briefly in thought before he said, ‘That was something else bothering me actually… When President Shinra gets back from Junon, how are we going to spin this? I’m assuming that Veld is no longer decorating the roof, so where have you stashed his, well, his remains?’

   
Rufus couldn’t hold back a grin as he replied, ‘Ah, a man who gets right to the point. Well Vincent I removed what was left of Veld from the rooftop and he is currently languishing in a nearby morgue where my name holds some sway. The rest of the plan is to go to my father as soon as he returns and tell him we have evidence that the attack in Junon was instigated by Veld himself to cover his defection to Wutai. Even Scarlet will testify to Veld’s mental instability and who knows what treasonous correspondence with a particular warlord we will find in his office.’

   
Although he had expected time to crawl by agonizingly slowly Rufus got so immersed in his discussion with Vincent that he was caught by surprise when his cellphone rang loudly two and a half hours later and pulled him back to the present. Breaking off in mid-sentence and nodding at the eloquently questioning look on Vincent’s face Rufus answered his phone and barked, ‘Report.’

   
Rude’s voice sounded dangerously unstable and Rufus narrowed his eyes as the Turk said shakily, ‘We have them. It’s not good Sir. From what I can tell Tseng was almost… Reno just got to him in time… And we only… Fucking Reno would have been turned into an ex fucking Turk if we hadn’t turned up when we did. Kioko’s going as fast as she can but we’re going to need a team of Healers when we land if they’re going to make it.’

   
Shooting to his feet Rufus promptly forgot about all other considerations as his thoughts went from zero to a hundred miles an hour in the blink of an eye. Rufus didn’t hesitate for more than a second before snarling, ‘Do what you can Rude, all of ShinRa’s resources will be waiting for you when you arrive. I’ll be damned if Veld will take a single one of my fucking Turks especially as he’ll be feeding the fucking Kalm Wolves in the Gaia-damned wilds very shortly!’

   
Rufus spun on his heel and went to stride out of the room, but he was stopped in his tracks by a firm hand on his shoulder. Looking around Rufus found himself staring at Vincent who had doggedly levered himself to his feet, looking ashen but determined as he said, ‘You’ll need help to get those idiots in medical to get their shit together and I’m fixed enough to bully a few Healers. Once we’re done there you can wait for Rude to get back and I can come back here to make sure Elena and Cissnei know what’s going on when they wake up.’

   
Keeping a straight face but inwardly resolving to promote Vincent the second things returned to a more even keel, Rufus nodded thoughtfully and said, ‘Alright, you can take charge of the Healer team while I organize the room and make sure Veld hasn’t left any agents around the place to finish his madness. You know Vincent, I think we may need to have a talk sometime in the future… I like to utilize my Turks to their fullest and I have a feeling you are a man who I will come to rely on in my ranks.’

   
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During the flight back from Condor Reno drifted into consciousness only once and it was when turbulence shook the chopper while Rude was on the phone to Rufus reporting their status. Barely conscious and exceedingly woozy from the loss of blood Reno couldn’t even begin to vocalize the pain that ripped through him at the helpless tone in Rude’s normally stoic voice, but his Turk partner’s obvious anguish burned itself into Reno’s mind so deeply that it followed him back into the dark as he once again fell away from the world. The instant between waking and nothingness seemed to stretch out for Reno and he tried desperately to cling to reality, only to fall screaming into oblivion with Rude’s words ringing in his ears, ‘Tseng was almost…’

   
_‘Tseng was almost dead and alone and it was all your fucking fault!’ Rude’s voice morphed from his low rumble to a shrill scream in Reno’s fevered dream and even though Reno clapped his hands over his ears he couldn’t block out the noise. ‘Rude somehow found you both, but you know this is just basically bringing back Tseng’s corpse. You fucked up and this time you’ve killed the one person stupid enough to think he loved you.’_

_  
_ _In his mind Reno stared around frantically, but his inner mindscape was drenched in blood and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the image of Tseng’s still body as he had found him only an hour before. Details that would usually be missed sprang into painful focus and for what seemed like forever Reno stared breathlessly at the gaping wound that curved over Tseng’s shoulder and down his back. When Reno finally managed to tear his gaze away from the gash on Tseng’s back he was instantly caught by the spreading puddle of blood under the man he loved and in the confines of his head he began to scream._

_  
_ _Reno’s mental movie flickered forward and in a blur of sickening images his brain presented him one after the other with all the possible ways Tseng could have ended up nearly dead on the safehouse floor in Condor. Massive explosions threw Tseng to the ground punctured by razor sharp shrapnel; faceless assailants cackled and relentlessly cut the Wutaiin Turk to shreds despite his frantic efforts to defend himself; and through it all Reno watched and screamed, unable to move to stop the horror happening in front of him. After the umpteenth time Tseng fell in a splatter of bright red blood Reno’s internal world began to grey out and as he was swallowed by black unconsciousness he heard the guttural sound of Veld’s laugh echo in the dark._


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Oh man, I just realized how long it's been since I updated this... Many apologies. So, the killing might be done, but it's far from over. What will Reno and Tseng do with what they've been through...**

Tseng drifted in an indistinct grey void without a sense of time or space before he gradually felt a tugging on his arm and a pain that brought him crashing back to the world. A lifetime of honed hair-trigger instincts meant that Tseng was reacting even before his body was awake and his eyes were still shut when his hand clamped tightly enough around the wrist of the person touching him to provoke a pained cry. Tseng's other hand was bunched in a fist and moving to take his assailant out when his own wrist was caught in a strong grip and his eyes flew open to stare muzzily into the face of Rufus Shinra.

Momentarily at a loss as to where he was or what the hell was going on, Tseng could only gaze blankly at Rufus as the man said quietly but firmly, 'Tseng, you're safe. I need you to let go of the nurse now. You're back at ShinRa and it's over.'

It was only when Rufus tilted his head and gestured to the side that Tseng looked to his right and he saw that he was holding an ashen-faced, trembling nurse in a painfully tight grip. With a gruffly mumbled apology Tseng let go and watched the nurse stumble unsteadily from the room, guilt trickling into his mind as he realized that he had lashed out in self-defence coming out of his unconscious state. Caught in his own thoughts for a moment Tseng was pulled back to himself by the quiet sound of Rufus clearing his throat and asking in a somewhat atypical tone of worry, 'Tseng? Are you okay? Do you need to lie down again?'

Tseng looked up into Rufus' searching blue eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but then a small voice that had been screaming in the back of his mind entirely bypassed his conscious thoughts and all that escaped from his lips in a whisper was, 'Reno…'

The almost imperceptible flicker of Rufus' gaze made Tseng whip his head around to look at the bed across the room and when he saw who the occupant was he was out of his own bed so quickly that he almost knocked Rufus to the floor. Ignoring that his legs felt like they were about to give way beneath him and that pain was exploding all over his body Tseng staggered across to the bed in the other corner, only staying upright because the need to get to Reno's still body overrode all other considerations. Getting to the bedside took every last scrap of Tseng's fear-fueled strength and as his fingertips brushed Reno's pale arm he collapsed to his knees, wavering on the edge of fainting and only clinging to consciousness thanks to the fluttering heartbeat he could feel on Reno's wrist.

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Reno's past experience with coming back from unconsciousness had been a mixed bag, ranging from slowly resurfacing into the world serenely to being jerked into wakefulness by violent agony and this time was not one of the better ones. After Reno's brain decided to re-join the world, but before he even opened his eyes, he was hit with a wave of pain that seemed to hammer every nerve that he possessed and then when his eyes actually flew open he was assaulted by the bright lights of the room he was in. In a hoarse voice that sounded nothing like the usual him Reno rasped, 'Ow, ow, mother-fucking ow, fucking ow yo!'

Even as his less than eloquent waking statement fell from his lips Reno registered the presence next to his bed and he snapped his eyes to the left only to find himself staring directly into Tseng's face. In a fraction of a second, despite the fact he had only just re-joined the world, Reno took in the emotion that filled Tseng's eyes and without any intervention from his brain flung his body forward to wrap his arms around Tseng's neck. His words falling out so fast they tangled up with each other Reno choked out, 'Tseng! Oh Gaia's sweet and tender fucking mercy you're alive! Dammit, I thought… I thought I was too late yo…'

The sound of Tseng's hoarse and unusually emotional voice did more than even the warmth of his body in Reno's arms to convince the redhead that they were both really there and alive. Despite his best efforts Reno felt burning tears overflow down his cheeks as Tseng said roughly, 'You found me Reno. Gaia knows how but you found me and you got me out. And you… I nearly lost you again.'

Reno buried his face in the dark hair that flowed over Tseng's shoulder and as the full realization of what he had survived crashed into his mind he broke down completely. Shuddering sobs tore from Reno's throat and he clung to Tseng like a lifeline, the only thing tethering him to reality, and even through the storm of emotions that battered him Reno could feel that Tseng had abandoned his legendary composure and was holding onto him like he was about to disappear. Unable to believe that it was over and that both he and Tseng had survived Veld's insanity, Reno let himself weep and let loose all the pain and horror that he had been forced to endure.

Time stretched out so interminably as to become meaningless and Reno, locked in his embrace with Tseng, lost track of the world around him that he had so recently come back to. After a period of time that could have been an hour or a year Reno ran out of tears and trailed off into hiccupping coughs and with his face still pressed against Tseng's chest he could hear the reassuring sound of the other man's steady heartbeat. Finally as he heard his own heartbeat gradually slow and begin to thump in time with Tseng's pulse and his breathing calmed, Reno wonderingly allowed himself to entertain the possibility that both he and the man he loved had made it through hell alive.

88888

Rufus had been in Reno and Tseng's room from the moment Rude and Kioko carried them down from the helipad, the token attempts of the healing staff to remove him provoking only an icy glare that sent them scurrying away from the cold-eyed son of Shinra. There was an initial period of bustling healers, low conversations and bursts of light from multiple Cure materia, but once the last healer left and quietly closed the door behind herself, Rufus got up from his spot by the wall and moved his seat to a spot between the two beds. Sitting wearily in the chair Rufus had first looked over at the unconscious Tseng and then transferred his gaze to Reno's still form, a faint frown marring his usually smooth brow.

When Rufus had been waiting to hear from Rude about the outcome in Condor he had reaffirmed his loathing of not being in control or at least able to influence a situation. However, as he sat in the quiet of the healing ward with both his battered Turks still drawing breath, Rufus was surprised to find a feeling of peace settle over him. Savouring the unfamiliar feeling Rufus sat for almost an hour with Tseng and Reno, only stirring finally from his seat when he saw Tseng's hand start to twitch jerkily on the bedcovers out of the corner of his eye.

Due to his long experience with the Turks and the often messy aftermath of their dangerous missions Rufus had spent a lot of time in the medical wing watching over unconscious agents and he had picked up a few things over the years. Well aware that Tseng's movement coupled with the increased activity on the machines that surrounded him meant that the Turk would be waking up before his healing was complete Rufus rose smoothly from his chair and headed out to find a healer. As luck would have it Rufus had only stalked a few steps down the hallway when he saw a nurse exiting a room up ahead and before the woman knew what was going on Rufus imperiously ordered her to the room, stating on the way that she was needed to sedate a priority patient.

The nurse obviously knew exactly who Rufus was as she immediately squeaked out a wordless noise of acquiescence and scurried towards the indicated doorway, stopping only to check the pouch of medicines she carried to make sure she had what she needed. Rufus followed the woman back into the room and watched closely as she gave Tseng a quick check over before turning to him and saying in a voice she almost managed to keep steady, 'You're right Sir, he will be awake in a few minutes even though he still needs at least a few hours of healing sleep. Please Sir, if you could hold my medicine bag for a moment I can give him a small dose of diluted Seal which will keep him under as long as he needs to be to heal.'

Rufus took a split-second to evaluate the nervous nurse's statement for deception, his mind still shedding the excess paranoia that had characterised his last few months, but recognizing the truth of the woman's words he held out his hand for her bag. Deliberately standing just slightly too close to the nurse for comfort Rufus watched as she took out a syringe then handed over her bag and he nodded briefly in approval when she turned the label to show him it was indeed Seal before turning to her patient on the bed. Rufus was so caught up with keeping an eye on the nurse that what happened next got as close as anything ever had to flying out of his control.

One moment Tseng had been unconscious but twitching spasmodically on the bed with the nurse grasping his arm to inject the small dose of Seal, and then before Rufus could blink Tseng was sitting bolt upright with the nurse's arm clenched in one hand and his other fist cocked back ready to strike. If it had been anyone other than Rufus in Tseng's room there would have been one more medical emergency, but even as Tseng lashed out in his semi-conscious state Rufus lunged forward and grabbed the man's wrist before the blow could fall. With the nurses pained scream echoing in his ears Rufus forced himself to ignore the terrified woman and looking Tseng straight in his dazed brown eyes he began to talk in a low, soothing voice.

Unsure if he would be able to get through to the disoriented Turk but showing none of his uncertainty in his face or tone Rufus said, 'Tseng, you're safe. I need you to let go of the nurse now. You're back at ShinRa and it's over.'

Holding Tseng's gaze until he was sure that Tseng was looking at him rather than through him Rufus inclined his head in the direction of the nurse who was standing motionless, her arm still caught in Tseng's tight grip. Although he would never admit it Rufus felt a small rush of relief when a light seemed to go on behind Tseng's eyes, but he still watched with worry as the Turk jerkily let go of the nurse's arm and growled out an uncharacteristically disjointed apology. The strange look of guilt and lost bewilderment stamped on Tseng's face stirred a much neglected well of compassion in Rufus' chest and he couldn't help the words that slipped out, 'Tseng? Are you okay? Do you need to lie down again?'

Even as he spoke Rufus knew what Tseng's next thought would be, but the desperation in the man's barely audible whisper of Reno's name made him aware that his Turk was closer to the edge of panic than he had ever seen him. Rufus involuntarily flicked his gaze over to the other bed in the room before he could marshal his powers of speech and then he was hard pressed to grab the side of the bed and keep his feet as Tseng barrelled past him to collapse next to Reno's prone form. A fleeting smile flickered across Rufus' face before he wiped his expression clear and averted his eyes from the display of emotion in front of him and he seated himself on Tseng's bed, watching over the scene but giving Tseng space.

Time stretched out as Tseng huddled next to Reno's bed and Rufus allowed his mind to start turning over the next step in his plan while he kept a watchful eye on his injured Turks. Almost half an hour after Tseng had first dramatically awakened, Rufus was dragged from his ruminations by a tugging at his well-developed sixth sense and he looked over at Reno's bed just in time to see and hear something he hadn't expected for another few hours at least. Rufus was on his feet even as Reno's wakening splutters of pain broke the silence, but with uncharacteristic hesitation he hung back, deciding that despite his protective instincts he should leave the next move to Tseng.

Subsiding onto the bed again and making himself as unobtrusive as possible, a talent that few who knew him would have guessed he possessed, Rufus patiently waited as the emotional scene in front of him played out. Once Reno's sobs had trailed off and Rufus was sure that a sort of peace had settled on the room he once again stood and walked forward to lay a calming hand on Tseng's shoulder. Meeting Tseng's curious gaze and keeping his voice low so as not to frighten Reno who still had his face buried in Tseng's chest Rufus said, 'I know you are both still reeling from this whole ordeal, but if you are up to it I feel that you need to be appraised of what I am planning to do to tie up any loose ends so to speak.'

There was a short silence as Rufus let Tseng digest his words and the importance behind them, but it was Reno who startled them both by lifting his head and whispering hoarsely, 'You may need to find me a painkiller Sir, but I think I want to hear what you have to say yo. If I'm right things are going to turn into a circus around here really quickly yo and I'd rather know what the hell is going on before the shitstorm hits.'

Impressed by the clarity and resolution that was plainly evident in Reno's voice Rufus nodded and opened his mouth to continue, but was cut off when Tseng, with his gaze firmly fixed on Reno, raised a hand and said, 'Sir, please, can you give us a moment? I know that what you have to tell us is beyond important, but I have some things that I need to say and they can't wait.'

Rufus arched an affronted eyebrow for the look of the thing but inside he felt his already high estimation of Tseng inch even higher at the man's protectiveness and almost insubordinate rudeness. Drawing himself up and allowing a ghost of a smile to cross his expressionless façade Rufus stalked to the door before turning and saying quietly, 'Take as long as you need Tseng. And Reno, if Tseng is thinking what I think he is, you listen to him.'

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The click of the door closing behind Rufus sounded impossibly loud to Reno as he stared mutely at Tseng, the grim note that had been in the man's voice making him shiver internally. More exhausted than he'd ever been, both emotionally and physically, Reno couldn't silence the small voice in his head that whispered to him that Tseng was about to rip him to shreds for his actions. Bowing his head and struggling to keep his breathing steady Reno couldn't help flinching at the weight of Tseng's gaze as the other man stared silently at him.

In the interval before Tseng spoke Reno had the time to condemn himself a hundred times over, but when Tseng's weary voice broke the silence it was all Reno could do to stop tears from pouring down his cheeks. Tseng's tone spoke of tiredness and pain as he said quietly, 'Stop it Reno. Whatever's going on in your head, stop it. I need to say something and I need you to listen to me, really listen. Can you do that for me Reno?'

If Tseng had ordered him to listen Reno would have continued with his self-chastisement until Rufus re-entered the room, but the harmonics of defeat mixed with grief in Tseng's voice served to shatter his dissociation. Raising his bloodshot blue-green eyes Reno found himself transfixed by Tseng's dark gaze as the man said, 'I know you Reno. You're hurting yourself without even leaving your head. You think that because of you I nearly died… That's what you're thinking right? That you nearly got me killed?'

Guilt choked Reno so completely that he couldn't make a sound. He tore his gaze away from the pain in Tseng's eyes, but the lingering image of Tseng's desperate stare made his head jerk up and down in a reluctant nod before he could control himself. Because he was still glaring fixedly at the bedspread between his crossed legs Reno couldn't see Tseng's face, but he definitely heard the shaky and decidedly un-Tseng-like sigh. Hating himself for his weakness and hating himself even more for hurting Tseng, the unbreakable Tseng, so badly Reno sank deeper into himself, starting to lose touch with the world in the whirl of hissing voices in his head.

Reno's descent into himself was abruptly arrested when a gentle hand reached out to cup his jaw, Tseng's light touch lifting Reno's chin so that he had no choice but to look up at the other man. There was something deep in Tseng's stare, an indescribable but undeniable emotion, that yanked Reno back to the here and now and when awareness sparked in his eyes Tseng said flatly, 'You know me Reno. You call me Bossman, you trust in me to keep you safe and lead you through the jobs we do. Why can't you trust me now, when I'm telling you that I chose to be a part of this…? I chose to fight alongside you and I knew the risks. Do you hear me Reno? I chose to fight for you.'

Hearing Tseng's words but with every fibre of his body and mind screaming that the man was wrong, wrong, wrong Reno couldn't hold in the words that burst harshly from his throat, 'Well you shouldn't have Tseng because all I do is fuck up yo, and this time my fuck ups almost killed you! Do  _you_  hear  _me_? If it wasn't for me you'd never have gone to Condor… Fuck yo, V-Veld would've never even targeted you! Why couldn't you have just let me die Tseng, it's all fucked up and it's all my fault yo!

In the long silence that followed his words, still staring into Tseng's eyes, Reno whispered, 'I should be dead Tseng, he was right. How can you not see that yo?'

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There was a moment when Reno voiced his conviction that he should be dead that Tseng thought he was going to lose it, but the roaring fury directed at Veld for causing Reno to think this was quickly eclipsed by a deep sorrow at the brokenness screaming from every line of Reno's body. In a rough voice made unsteady by the emotions he was struggling to control Tseng said, 'No Reno. He was wrong. I know you believe what you're saying but it's not true. Nothing that sick excuse for a man said about you was true and I swear to you I'm going to make you see that. Reno… Do you want to know what I see when I look at you?'

Tseng could read Reno's expression like a book and he saw puzzlement flicker in Reno's eyes followed quickly by fear and a jumble of emotions that spoke of Reno's certainty that whatever Tseng was about to say would either be a lie or destroy him utterly. Somewhere under the panic and pain however Tseng glimpsed a brief flash of the old Reno that he remembered, the brash, confident life of the Turks, and taking a risk he said quietly, 'Reno, I see a Turk, brave, dangerous and strong, I see someone who has always stood with me against any enemy, someone I trust with my life. You feel like you're broken and you feel like you're weak, but you have lived through things that would've killed most other people… And you killed him Reno… You killed him and you saved my life.'

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Although in the back of his mind he considered it unbecoming of someone of his position to listen at keyholes Rufus leaned against the door of Reno and Tseng's hospital room and stretched his sharp hearing to its limit in an effort to hear what was happening between his two Turks. Hearing how fragile and hopeless Reno sounded when he told Tseng that Veld was right about him made Rufus' calloused heart clench noticeably and he made a note to address his Turk's probable post-traumatic stress as soon as possible. Rufus dragged his attention back to the private conversation in time to hear Tseng's impassioned declaration of Reno's worthiness and at that point he decided that he should step in to provide a buffer so that Reno could really internalize what Tseng was trying to tell him.

Restoring his habitual expression of blank detachment Rufus rapped sharply on the door and without waiting for a response strode back into the room saying brusquely, 'I hope you're done with whatever you needed to say Tseng, because we're out of time and I need to say my piece before things start moving too quickly without us. Reno, once I've appraised you both of the situation you can take a little more time to rest, but I need you focus on this as it is important.'

Rufus sat on the bed and subtly watched Reno as he was talking and he was pleased to see the redhead pull himself together and slap a semi-convincing expression of alertness over the stunned look that had been decorating his face. Swiftly taking advantage of having captured the attention of both Turks Rufus launched into his detailed plans for securing his enhanced position in the hierarchy of ShinRa and he also outlined briefly his ideas for maneuvering around his cunning father to make sure he didn't lose the ground that had been gained. The intense and exhaustive discussion on the power politics of ShinRa served to draw both Reno and Tseng out of themselves and by the time he was done Rufus smugly noted that his Turks were focused on the new future that the coup had opened up.

Once he was confident that both Reno and Tseng understood the gist of his plan and the key points of action that he planned to take in the next few days Rufus sat back and crossed his arms, effortlessly stopping the conversation and drawing all attention back to himself. Smoothing away the hint of a smile that tugged at his lips and assuming a serious mien he said gravely, 'Now that we've got that out of the way I have something to ask of you both. I know that neither of you are recovered from your ordeals, but in order to seize what power I can from my father I need to appear to be at full strength. What I need from you both is to return to work tomorrow and put on a show of being fighting fit and ready to take down my opposition.'

Rufus glanced at Tseng as the man nodded immediately but he kept most of his attention centered on Reno. The redheaded Turk's gaze was fixed on the bed in front of him and his brow was furrowed in a deep frown, but Rufus had made it his business to know his Turks well enough to almost read their minds so he had to hide a smile a split second before Reno cleared his throat and said gruffly, 'Give me a Cure yo and a good night's sleep and no one will know I'd ever been wounded tonight. I ain't going to fuck this up for you Sir, like Tseng said and I know you heard, I'm a goddamn Turk and I need to remember that and start acting like it yo.'

Everyone who thought they knew him knew that the Son of Shinra was a soulless, emotionless devil-spawn and even anyone who actually knew him would have never believed that at that moment Rufus had to swallow a lump in his throat as he silently nodded his approval of Reno's words. Sliding off the bed and moving over to the door Rufus looked back at the two men sitting on the bed and as he opened the door he said quietly, 'Rest now. Tomorrow will be the time for action, but tonight your room will be guarded by Vincent and myself so that you can rest.'

The stunned look on Reno's face at the thought of Rufus Shinra himself standing guard was priceless and once the door closed behind him Rufus allowed himself a pleased smile. Taking his place to one side of the door Rufus pulled out his phone and after a quick call to Vincent to satisfy himself that the Turk was up to a night of guard duty he settled into the role of guard. Minutes later Vincent appeared like a wraith in the dimly lit corridor and with a wordless glance that said all that was needed Rufus readily stood sentry through the night, finding an unexpected level of camaraderie in the simple act of protecting his men.


End file.
